Road To Happiness
by shaneequa
Summary: MS The road to happiness is a long and bumpy one, but it's always worth it.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Road To Happiness  
Author: whatchasayiiin  
Rating: PG-R  
Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish I did. I own their daughter though… And those two menacing characters you're gonna hate :D  
Summary: The road to happiness is a long and bumpy on, but it's always worth the trip.  
A/N: Also posted on the board. Just archiving here :D 

Chapter 1

Sam sat there alone in her apartment cleaning it up so that it would look presentable when Martin drops off their seven year old daughter. He was granted full time custody--not that she was surprised--during their divorce while she... Well, she didn't get much but a broken heart, a broken family, and a child that would be left to be passed around from her to him since she was granted "weekend visiting rights". As if that was enough. She was her mother for God sakes! But still, she knew the judge made the right decision. She wouldn't have been able to raise her daughter with the same discipline and attitude as Martin had. Though, she'd come a long way from years ago to now. Starting with the fact that years ago, she was happy. Today was an anniversary, or something. It was the night that they got engaged and for the past five years since the time that their divorce was finalized to right now, she would mope around all day. Just like if it was their wedding anniversary. Just like if it was the day when she asked him to share the cab with her, or Jamie's birthday. That's when the anti-depressant pills came in handy.

She looked out at the fireworks. They were beautiful. Martin and Gabriella would be out there in the harbor with Jamie, Ava and Allison looking up at the same sky, at the same view. She just hoped that Gaby wouldn't have stiff neck tomorrow That would suck since she planned on bringing her to an amusement park. She didn't have school yet, which Samantha saw as a good thing since summer was the really only time that she got to spend with her daughter. But summer school was starting soon. That sucked.

"Fitzgerald," Sam answered. She never really did take her name back. She got use to it after... a year of being a Fitzgerald. She has always intended to take Spade back, she just had no time to do it. Besides, having the Fitzgerald last name sometimes was an advantage, for one, she isn't Sam Spade from the Maltese whatever anymore.

"Mommy!" Gaby shrieked from the other line. Sam heard Martin telling Gaby not to yell onto the receiver because it could possibly deafen people. She just smiled at that.

"Hey sweetie, are you having fun with Ava?"

"Yup!"

"That's good to hear, did you see the fireworks?" Sam questioned. For another ten minutes, Gabby rambled on about how it was beautiful and how the noises were a little scary because it reminded her of the time that Martin had brought her to the shooting range. Sam chuckled at that, she remembered when Gaby came to her one weekend and told her that being an agent like her parents isn't what she wanted to be when she grew up anymore because of the noises that the gun makes. She remembered Gaby being scared to go into the FBI building for a week because of that.

"Sam, you there?" Martin's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. His voice tended to do that.

She cleared her throat before answering. "Yeah. I'm here."

"Okay, good. So I'll drop her off tomorrow at noon?"

"That'd be great."

"Okay, and uhm, I need to talk to you tomorrow okay?" Martin asked. Sam just nodded to herself confused. What did he want them to talk about?

"Sure."

"Okay, bye Sam."

"Bye, give Gaby a kiss for me will you?" Sam asked.

"Will do, see you tomorrow" Click.

She sighed putting the cordless phone back onto the charger and let herself sink on the couch. She and Martin have developed a friendship a year or so after the divorce. They figured it was for best that they keep a friendship since they have a daughter to raise. One who's life they don't intend to ruin as much as they could help it form being. She stuck her hand between the sofa cushions and felt for the one thing that gave her comfort in days that she wished she didn't make the mistake of divorcing Martin. Lifting it up so that it was up close to her face, Samantha examined the engagement ring. Her wedding ring, she had long ago lost, or given back to him. Either way, it wasn't with her anymore, but her engagement ring... The one that Martin had told her had been in his father's side of the family for as long as they had migrated from Ireland to the States. Twirling it around on her hand, it was as if the first time she laid eyes on it. It was also July Four when it happened. It was at Washington though, they were sitting at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial overlooking the waters and the obelisk that stood there as the fireworks lit up the sky of Washington DC.

_"Wow, it's beautiful Martin," Samantha breathed seeing the fireworks display as the background of the famous monument. Martin nodded his head and pulled her closer to him. It wasn't cold, but the winds were making it so and he knew how much Samantha hated the cold. _

_"It is isn't it?" he asked his eyes focused on her. _

_"I didn't mean me you goof. I meant the fireworks, this whole view." _

_"It is, but I think you're more beautiful." _

_"Don't you think they look like shooting stars?" Sam asked looking up at the sky. _

_"Then close your eyes, and make a wish." _

_"And what? Miss the fireworks?" Sam asked him not tearing her gaze away from the night sky. "I'll wish later. Besides, I think I all my wishes came true already." _

_"Oh really? And how is that?" _

_"Well, I have a handsome man who loves me, we have a baby on the way. Oh, and I'm healthy, you're healthy, the baby's healthy, and your parents are okay with the fact that I'm pregnant." _

_"You wouldn't want to add anything to that list?" Martin question lifting the velvet box out of his pocket. _

_"Would I? I mean, I would be happy if the baby wouldn't be born in wedlock or something, but... I'm okay with that. I'm happy." _

_"Happiest you could be?" Martin asked again taking the ring out of it's place. He didn't plan on getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him. No, he liked to do the unexpected. He had almost asked his father to pull some strings and let them go into the Arlington Memorial at night to sit on the balcony of the home on top of the hill so that Samantha could see the whole city of Washington. He decided that was for another day though. _

_"Well, the happiest I could ask..." Sam said shutting up as soon as Martin's lips crushed against her his tongue seeking entrance, and as soon as she obliged. She felt something hard in her mouth making her pull away quickly. Did Martin get his tongue pierced without her knowing? No, that couldn't be it since the object was in her mouth. _

_"Well?" _

_Sam opened her mouth and took out the object. It was a beautiful princess cut five carat white-gold engagement ring that had a classic, yet modern style to it. "Are you..." _

_Martin nodded and smiled at her, she shook hear head with a big grin plastered on her face and leaned in kissing him deeply as the last forty five second of the fire display came out blasting with the greatest variety of fireworks there was. It was literally a kiss that was followed by fireworks and they wouldn't have it any other way. _

_"Yes, I'll marry you."_

How did things get from there to here? That was a question that needed answering for another day, another time. For now, she slipped out of her clothes and placed on Martin's college sweater--one she had told him she didn't have--and slipped into her bed pulling the comforter to cover her head. She could still hear the blasting of the fireworks outside and the distant sierence of firetrucks as she closed her eyes and dreamed of tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Mommy!" Gaby shrieked as the door opened welcoming her into her mother's apartment. She loved being in one. Martin had a house in suburbia--white picket fence and all--making Gaby like the nice change of pace the city had to offer. Sam smiled as her daughter rushed inside leaving her and Martin standing there at the doorway.

"You wanna come in?" Sam asked. It was usually just dropping her off, stating what time he was going to pick her up the next day, and then leaving. No talks when Gaby was there since their talks would either end with them fighting, or one of them making the mistake of leaning in and kissing the other.

"Yeah thanks," Martin replied following her inside the apartment. It seemed fairly clean and organized. He realized he hasn't been in there for about two months. Nothing much has changed though, Gabby's baby picture still held up on a big poster like thing on the wall of the hallway and random pictures were still posted on the bulletin on the counter.

"Why is daddy still here?" Gaby questioned.

"He and I are going to talk for a little while, could you go to your room and change into whatever clothes you want. We're going to Coney Island today."

"Really?!" Gaby asked her hazel eyes lightening up. She loves Coney Island, especially with her mom.

"Yes, now go!" Sam said playfully. When they heard the door shut sure that Gaby was out of earshot, Sam motioned Martin to join her on the couch. "What do you want to talk about?"

Martin looked up at her fidgeting with his hands not knowing how to say it. "I need a favor."

"Okay? What is it?"

"Could you take her her for the rest of the weekend?" Martin asked. "I know you're not on call."

"Okay sure," Sam agreed. "Can I ask why?"

"I have dates."

"Dates?" Sam clarified. She had always thought he was a one man woman type of guy, but things change. She knew that. Maybe more than anyone.

"Yeah, you know... Katrika from VC and Yesenia from NYPD?"

"Oh, well. Good luck with them," Sam said standing up and escorting him out. Martin nodded not knowing if she was being sarcastic or if she meant it. Not talking to her outside of work was really making him rusty on reading her. "Call me when you think you'd be able to pick her up or if she needs to stay here one more day."

"Okay, see you Sam."

"Bye Martin," Sam said closing that door. She lent on it taking a few breaths. Why was she acting so weird? He was dating, so what? She was, too.

"Mom?" Gaby asked walked over to her with a weird confused and disgusted face. "Are you wearing [ithat[/i to the park?" she asked eying her mother's clothing.

Sam shook her head with a smile remembering she was only in white short shorts and a a camisole. "No, let me just get changed and we'll go okay?"

"Okay." Gaby said sitting down on the sofa and reaching for the remote.

"Don't touch it Gaby. Don't you think your dad didn't tell me you're grounded."

"Ma," Gaby groaned looking around for some other source of entertainment. Seeing the gossip tabloid laid out on the coffee table, she sighed. That would have to do.

A few minutes later, Samantha emerged from her bedroom a book bag on her shoulder looking up at her daughter who was lost in the gossip column. "Are you bringing clothes?"

"What for?"

"Rides that get you wet."

"Could you pack me some mom? It's about Paris Hilton," Gaby asked showing her mother the colored animated picture of Paris Hilton in court.

"Alright, I don't wanna hear complaints about the clothes I picked though, okay?"

"That's not possible mom," Gaby said getting back into reading the tabloid. She shook her head knowing that if Martin found out about Gabriella reading tabloids and celebrity gossip magazines he would either tease her or blame her for another one of those "I don't like this color anymore" type thing making them re-do both her rooms in their respectable homes and the contents of her closet.

"Don't tell you're dad you were reading that, or we'll both get in trouble."

"I won't Mommy! I promise!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Martin sat around his home looking for something to wear to his date. It wasn't his first date since the divorce, but it was one that he was actually interested in. Katrika was beautiful, smart and a really good agent while Yesenia was fun and out going. He knew that none of the could ever measure to the blond bomb shell that he still worked with, who also just happens to have given him the most precious gift he could ever receive, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't come close. Oh, who was he kidding? Half of his heart belonged to his daughter, and three-fourths of the other half belonged to Samantha. Of course there was Ava and Jamie and his other relatives but in talking about his own family. Samantha and Gabriella still owned most of his heart, if not all. But he couldn't stop trying to keep that three-fourths and reduce that to a one-half which should eventually be reduced to one-fourth right? He really hated it that one look from her could send him weak. At least she didn't know it like she had before. He was the one that initiated the separation and therefore, he was the one that would be said to have moved on before she has.

"Fitzgerald," Martin answered the phone. It was Katrika on the other line telling him that she couldn't do it that day since she forgot about her relatives visiting in town. He shouldn't be surprised that she canceled the date, especially at the last moment. Women tend to do that to him now a days. He didn't know why, maybe it was because they all knew about her feelings for Samantha? Women tend to have those feelings. Well, maybe not all of them, Samantha seems to be clueless about those feelings he has for her, it was either that or she didn't really give a damn anymore. She was getting serious with this Jason guy. He knew that from his daughter meeting her.

He walked around the house again picking up Gaby's toys that were scattered around, the cash register she had. Her laptop, a real one that his mother had gotten her and a Barbie version of it. She really loved to pretend to be Samantha as she typed away on her fake laptop. Even at seven, she knew better than to play with the real one. Looking over at her pictures, he couldn't help but think he didn't look anything like her. The eyes, the face, the smile, it was all Samantha. Even by the way that strangers―people she wasn't really familiar with―were to call her Gabriella instead of Gaby like he calls her or Sam calls her or Danny calls her. It was really amusing to see Sam in their daughter. If it was possible, it made him love her―Gaby―more.

Walking over to the bookcase, he picked up a fancy look album and brought it over to the couch. This was his therapy. The pictures in there made it okay that a woman had "dumped" him, that they didn't find the missing person, that he didn't have a wife. Well, the last part, it didn't really help much. Nothing really helped with that one. But he flipped the cover open anyways, and as he expected he was welcomed the the cover page, a simple collage made of all the wedding pictures they took that made it appear as if it was their picture. It was like one of those pictures up at Disneyland that were pictures made up of pictures. He smiled and traced the pictures. It was the only proof of that day. He was glad that she filed for a divorce and not an annulment. After everything that happened, he excepted her to have done so. But she didn't, because he remembered that she told him that even if it didn't work out between them, she still loves him.

_"So that's it. We're officially..." Martin trailed off as they got out of the building where they finalized the divorce, who gets who and what not. It had been a rough divorce, starting with the custody case that eventually, Sam gave in and told Martin that as long as she gets weekends and visiting rights, she would be happy. Martin was too quick to take her up on that offer._

_"You know,"_

_"Yeah?" Martin asked stopping at the sidewalk needing to hail a cab. Apparently she did too as she stood next to him looking out at the street for a sign of those yellow eye sores that seemed to over populate the already crowded streets of New York City._

_"I'm sorry about all the hurt that this whole thing caused..."_

_"I know, I am too. I mean, I didn't want Gabriella to grow up her family separated but..."_

_"There's nothing else we could've done," Sam finished. "We fought more than anything. It wasn't healthy. It's better this way, you know?"_

_Martin nodded. It was really the first time that he and Sam got to talk about it since everything was happening so fast. One minute he was suggesting to take a break from each other, the next her was sitting at his lawyer's office signing divorce papers. It hurt the day that it came into the mail, it hurt even more that she said she couldn't take it back, that he needed to sign it because she was so unhappy with their marriage that she would rather die instead of still being married to him._

_"I guess."_

_"I still love you," Sam said after moments of silence. Martin turned to look at her shocked putting his hand down from trying to flag a cab. "I know it doesn't really feel that way 'coz I'm the one that gave up on us but... I do. I probably always will."_

_"Sam," Martin sighed looking at the ground then over at the cab that stopped in front of them._

_"Yeah?"_

_"I do too."_

_Sam smiled at him as she got in the cab. He watched it as it entered the street and went to the direction of her new apartment. He was granted the house, practically everything. He blamed his father's connections, but he was thankful at the same time. As the cab disappeared from his sight, he put his hand in his pocket and put the wedding ring back on. He felt incomplete without it._

Skimming thought the pages, he found the one where they were having their first dance as a married couple and there in the picture was Gaby running up to them in her flower girl gown. She was one at that time and could run already. To him, and Samantha, she as the most beautiful flower girl there ever was. Of course, they were biased. But considering the fact that through out the whole ceremony. She was an angel. She was their angel.

Flipping the album so it was the back first, she opened it. The last picture where they were all just a happy family. It was before all the fights and all those creeping gut feelings of someone having an affair or something else that was pulling them apart by the minute. He hated those times, maybe even more than he hated it when Gaby asked him why it was that Samantha didn't live with them anymore. He sighed, he had promised her one night that he would tell her when she turned eight. She was turning eight in about two months! It seemed so long ago since he had promised her that, he figured by then he would be almost completely over Samantha and their divorce. He was wrong of course.

Looking at his watch, he sighed. He didn't really feel like going out, neither today nor the next day with Yesenia. So, he took his phone out and canceled the "date" or whatever it was and got into the bathroom turning the water on and plunging the tub. He needed it. One memory of the divorce was enough to make him exhausted. He was just glad that Gabriella's with Sam. She was a very smart seven year old and could pick these things up. He didn't need her worrying about him. He should be the one worrying about her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Coming back from an exhausting weekend of nothing but "Girl's Day Out" for Samantha and Gabriella, they sat on the couch eating pizza and watching High School Musical, the concert. She had a slight obsession with it, still, and couldn't wait for the second movie to come out as she kept reminding everyone. She had told Samantha that Victor was getting her a copy of the DVD before it was even released. Samantha wasn't surprised. Victor had connections, and he was now in charge of the whole FBI. He could do whatever he pleases now, and Gabriella being the only granddaughter, or grandchild he had gave her the added bonus of being spoiled rotten with the right connections. She wasn't just born with a silver spoon, she was born with the whole China set.

"Mommy, what are you gonna get me for my birthday?" Gaby asked munching on her pizza crust. Sam looked over at her completely forgetting about it. That's right! It was Gaby's birthday! How could she possibly forget about that?! Well, considering it was two months away, she didn't really feel that bad for forgetting about it. Two months. It was two months eight years ago that she gone into pre-mateur labor, almost died and almost killing her unborn child with her. All because of some stupid argument about where the damn bubbles were!

"I don't know sweetheart, what do you want?" Sam asked. It was impossible to get Gaby something she would like as a surprise. She had almost anything. But a pony. No ponies.

"Can we have dinner, just you, me and daddy?" Gaby asked. "We never have family times anymore."

"Uhn... I don't know baby, you should ask you father first. If he says that it's okay with him, have him call me."

"How come you and Daddy got a divorce?"

Sam froze dropping her pizza back into the box. She turned to her daughter and pulled her by her shoulders kissing her on her temple. "Honey, it's grown up business."

"How come I can't know? I'll be eight in two months!"

"Honey, it's just. Even though we're not together, we love you. So so so much. You know that right?" Gabriella nodded but she bit her lip. It was a gesture that Samantha was too familiar with. It was something she did when she was trying to hold something it. "What is it baby?"

"Everybody in my class at school have both their mommy and daddy."

"You do too sweetie," Sam answered rubbing Gabriella's back gently. She made a mental note to do some self-loathing later. How was it possible in present time that there isn't at least one other child whose parents are divorced or separated? Maybe it was because Gabriella was going to a very exclusive school where before you get it, the background of your family had to be checked first. Some strict school.

"But they live in the same house and sleep in the same bed and aren't divorced."

"Just because we aren't like that sweetie, that doesn't mean we're any different from any of them. Would you rather have me and your daddy fighting all the time?"

"You guys don't fight."

"That's because we barely talk," Sam replied. She knew how hard it was to have her parents separated. Well, she knew how it was to be living with one parent. She really did wish she could've settled this whole thing with Martin, but she couldn't. Too many things have been said and done. There was no turning back, especially now since Jason was making her at least a bit happy. Not as much as Martin could make her, but it was the happiest she had been since the divorce.

"But we could all have dinner right? On my birthday? Please mommy?"

"If your father says yes, then we will. Okay?" Sam asked. She couldn't take it when her daughter pouted at her. Something about the way her eyes bore into hers in desperate pleading. Gaby knew that. She knew nobody could really resist her hazel eyes when she was in a pout, and she used it to get whatever she wanted.

"Okay mommy, I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart, now go wash up and get in your bed. Do you want me to tuck you in?" Sam asked her.

"No it's okay mom. I'll probably be online checking my Myspace anyway."

Sam shook her head and smiled. "Well, I'm going to turn of the modem at ten. I want in you in your bed before that. I"m gonna do checks."

"Mommy," Gabriella groaned pouting.

"You have school tomorrow babe. I don't want you to be late."

"Sure mom." Gabriella said sulking to the hallway and into her room leaving Sam in the living room to clean up the pizza box and the soda cans.

She glanced over at her cellphone that stood on the counter for the time. She wanted to call Martin now to ask whether or not she should expect them to have dinner on their daughter's birthday. Seeing as it was only nine, she thought otherwise. He would be on that date still. She sighed. She didn't need to think of him going out and having first kisses with a woman followed by another gazillion of kisses and them making love. She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking about Martin making love to another woman. It hurt too much.

"Stop being a hypocrite, Samantha!" She muttered to herself. She was having sex with Jason, why shouldn't he? He had every right to move on just like she did. But she had a feeling in her heart, like it was being stabbed or something. Shaking her head, she headed into the kitchen and threw all the trash away coming back to sit on the sofa. She took her cellphone from the table and went to the pictures. She scrolled to it all until she got to the one hundred forty third picture. She knew what it was, she placed it there after all. It was a picture that she downloaded into the memory card that was to be put on her cellphone, it was picture of her and Martin goofing off at a bench in the park. He was looking at her leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek while she was looking over at the camera with a smile. 1. 4. 3. It meant I love you. Still does.

_"Marty?" Sam asked snuggling more into her embrace. Martin held her tighter and pull her into him._

_"Yeah babe?"_

_"One-Four-Three."_

_"What are you talking about?" Martin asked. Was this when she wanted to get married? January 4... 2003? He didn't get it. It must be a code for something._

_"I overheard Allison talking to her boyfriend the other day..."_

_"Allison has a boyfriend?!" Martin freaked._

_"That wasn't the point, Marty."_

_"Okay, continue."_

_"I heard her say it, and I asked her what it meant. She said it meant I love you."_

_"Alright," Martin nodded and paused smiling at her. "ILYT."_

_"What?" Sam asked confused._

_"Oh, I'm sorry I thought you were hip and young and knew all these things."_

_"Marty, whats..." Sam paused realizing what it was. I, for I; L, for love; Y, for you; T, for too. She reached over and kissing him passionately. "I love you." she whispered as they pulled away._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sliding down the phone to close all applications, she sighed and rubbed her eyes not wanting the tears to fall. She cried too much for this man. With her cellphone in her hand, it vibrated scaring her a bit.

"Fitzgerald," she answered.

"Hey, it's Martin."

Sam took the phone off her ear and read the screen. Martin. What was he doing calling her at like nine thirty, he had a date. As far as she knew of course. "Hey, don't you have a date?"

"Yeah, uhn. She canceled last minute."

"Oh, did she tell you why?" Sam asked. What was wrong with that woman rejecting a night with Martin, Samantha thought to herself. She then banged her head a couple of times on the head of the couch. She did the exact same thing. She shouldn't say anything! She had no right to.

"Nope, I didn't really asked. I canceled for tomorrow night's date too so you could, drop Gaby over so you could..."

"Oh, well, I kinda had some plans already to spend with her and..." Sam drifted off not wanting to say that she doesn't want to drop her daughter at his place to see him in two weeks because she was on call for the next one. Saying outright no would be rude, but sometimes she felt as if she didn't know her daughter anymore. How many days does she get to spend with her daughter. Eight days in the thirty/thirty-one days every month if she was lucky, but due to on call schedules and Gabriella having plans sleeping over during the weekends and such. It got her about four days at max with her daughter. It wasn't fair when the remained of the times she was with Martin. A girl needs her mother!

"Oh, it's alright, I was just..."

"Why don't you just go out? Enjoy your weekend?" Sam suggested. "Go to bar and pick up a woman, have sex with her. Whatever. You don't have to worry about Gaby, I'm taking care of her. Or is it just after almost eight years you still don't trust me to take care of our daughter?"

"What the hell are you talking about Samantha? Of course I trust you to take care of her. I was just checking in if she's alright, or if there's anything I could do..."

"I hate to break it to you Martin, but she doesn't need you to have fun. I barely see her, please don't take this weekend away from me. I haven't seen her in a month!"

"I'm not trying to take anyone from anywhere Samantha, I just... I wanted to know if it would be possible that I could spend time with my daughter as well."

"You see her everyday! She sleeps in your house, you get to tuck her in and take care of her when she's sick. Do not tell me you need to spend more time with her because in my eyes, you spend a hell of a lot more time with her than I do in a year!" Sam yelled loosing control. How dare he?

"That isn't my fault Samantha! This whole shit wasn't my idea! You decided we take a break, so we did. You decided we live our separate lives and raise Gaby in my home. You could've put up a hell of a lot more in the fight than just given up or..."

"We both know for hell that I wouldn't have won the God damned custody battle! You had the fucking Director of the whole fucking FBI on your back making sure that you win whatever it is you set eyes on! If I fought, I would've been left living in a God damn box in the streets of the projects, and fuck you if you think I belong there!"

"I didn't say anything like..."

"Gaby..."

Click.

Samantha had hang up and ran as quick as she could to Gabriella's room the door shutting and getting locked on her face. Sam shook her head. She knew that her raised voice could be heard, and with Gabriella's "sonic hearing", she sure as hell heard that. She leaned her back against the door knocking softly.

"Gabs, please open the door."

"No!"

"Gabriella Bontrice Fitzgerald, you open this door right now!" Sam raised her voice. She couldn't take this. Not right now. Not when she had just gotten in another fight with Martin.

"Why?!"

"Do you want to go to your fathers? Is that it Gabriella?" Sam questioned going into her recent calls and calling Martin.

"What?" Martin answered, clearly pissed.

"Look, Gabriella locked her damn room. Pick her up, and do whatever you two please."

"I'm guessing..."

"Yeah, she heard the entire conversation, now just please pick her up," Sam pleaded. "I can't take this."

"Samantha..."

"Martin! Please!"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," Martin agreed with a sigh.

"Thank you."

After hanging up, Sam sat on the couch pulling her knees to her chest and rocking herself. This was the reason why she let Gabriella stay with Martin. She couldn't take the stress of being a mother, of having fights with your child and not being able to know how the hell she could deal with it. She wasn't fit to be a mother. She knew that. The only way she had survived the two and some years as full time mother was because Martin. He was her rock. Every time she thought she would be falling or giving up on being a mother, of being a wife. He was always there. Until one day came when he wasn't. He wasn't put on a case, but he didn't come home that night. She only saw him the day after in the office after dropping Gabriella of in daycare and when she questioned him, all he did was shrug and get back into his work. That night was one of many, until she couldn't take it anymore. She asked him if he was having an affair, he denied it. For about a month he stayed by her side again, until one night, they were having dinner and a beautiful brunette approached their table eying Samantha as she greeted Martin. Sam knew that look, it was the look that Sam used to give Maria.

"Where is she?" Martin asked coming in the door. He didn't even ask why it wasn't locked or why she was on the couch crying her eyes out.

"Her room."

"Are you okay?" Martin asked stopping at his steps from going into the hallway and looked at her unsure. He knew he wasn't the one that she would run to if something was wrong. Not anymore, but he couldn't help but want to be there for her.

"Yeah," Sam replied wiping the few lone tears that escaped her eyes. "Just..."

"Okay."

"Thanks," Sam said as he carried their sleeping daughter out in the hallway and into door. Martin just looked over at her and nodded his head and mouthed You're welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Bowling?" Sam asked surprised as she stepped out of the car with a small smile. Jason winked at her and motioned for her to go inside with him. "Seriously, bowling?"

"It's a perfectly enjoyable sport Miss Samantha Spade."

"I know that Jay," Sam replied taking his hand in hers and entwining their fingers.

"If you did, when why are you so skeptical about it?"

"I don't like to wear shoes that other people had. What if they had fungus?" Sam asked making a disgusted face. Jason shook head and pulled at her hand to go past the arcade and the bar to the counter to pay and get the shoes.

"You're too cute for you own good sometimes, Sam."

"Eh, you like me this way," Sam smiled giving him a small peck and wrapping her arms around his waist as they waited for the teenagers in front of them to stop flirting with the guy over the counter so that they could go and play. Maybe her badge would come in helpful this time?

"Don't even, Sam. Let the kids be kids," Jason said putting her hand over hers to stop her from taking her badge out. He knew how she could get "Badge Happy". Once she starts, she wouldn't stop.

"But..."

"No buts, we have time."

Sam nodded and just hugged him tighter. Jason looked down and kissed her temple as they walked to their lane at the very end of the bowling alley hidden from most watching eyes. Most of them watch the people in the middle, the professionals. They mostly liked to show off their talents of bowling. She learned that when she went there once with Martin. Shaking her head before a memory could even find its way into her head and make her day dream and unfocused for the rest of this date she was having with her boyfriend.

"Have you done this before?" Jason asked her. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows walking over to the shelves where the balls were lined up by their weight. She decided to take the thirteen pounds one. It wasn't heavy, it wasn't light either. "You've done this with Martin?"

"Jason..."

"I know, sorry. I just wanted to be original, but it seems like all my "original" or whatever ideas I have he already did."

"Jay, you don't have to make me try something new. You trying is enough."

"Did I mention how much I'm falling in love with you?" he asked as he programed their names on the scoreboard. Their nick names if she may add. Hers said "Ms. Incredible" and his was "Honey Bunches of Oats".

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Are we gonna start playing now?"

"You mean is it time for me to kick your ass over there."

"Oh, you took the words right out of my mouth," Sam said rolling the ball and getting a strike looking back at Jason and winking at him. As she walked back and he walked there, she whispered into his ear. "Prepare to get your ass kicked."

"Could you just spank it instead?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Tomorrow's my birthday! Tomorrow's my birthday!" Gabriella danced around the living room. Tomorrow was to be her eighth birthday and she was so happy. She really hoped that her mom and her dad had fixed whatever it was that they were fighting about to get her what she wanted. A dinner with the both of them, as a happy family. She wasn't stupid though, they may consider her young, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that her mother still loved her father and vise versa. She thought they were the... "slow" ones not to realize it by themselves.

"Gab, your mom's gonna be here today okay? We're going to Rockefeller, Empire State, and all that including dinner tonight okay?"

"Really?!" Gabriella asked excited. She ran over to Martin and gave him a big hug. "You're not lying to me right daddy?"

"Would I really do that princess?"

"No."

"See?" Martin smiled. "Now go take a shower and dress warm. Your mom's gonna be here in less than an hour."

"Okay daddy, I love you very much."

"I love you too, now go!" Martin said motioning for the shower as he sat down at the living room turning on the TV and not really paying attention. He looked at his watch waiting impatiently for Samantha to get there. They had talked not so long ago and asked Viv for today and tomorrow off to take Gabriella out today as a family. Viv didn't mind and was quick to let them. She wanted the two of them together, that was no secret. It also worked up to their advantage since Viv was SAIC of the New York City branch and whatever was okay with her was okay.

He looked over at the answering machine. Three unheard messages. He didn't press play of course, he knew who it was. His mother telling him about them coming over tomorrow for Gabriella's birthday party. He couldn't believe she was eight! It was so surreal. He couldn't believe that it was eight years ago that he was in the hospital room pacing wondering if he had to give up his fiancée or his daughter. It only seemed like a couple of yesterdays ago!

"Hey, is she ready yet?" Sam's voice called out to him sitting on the lazy boy.

"I don't think so, she takes a long time to get ready."

"Sounds like someone I know," she teased with a smile. Martin shook his head and motioned her to go inside Gabriella's room. "Think she needs my help in there?"

"Yeah, she's been in the bathroom for over an hour, and the water isn't even on for half the time."

"She would be prune by now," Sam smiled walking towards the bathroom that was "owned" by Gabriella. "Gab, it's mom. Can I come in?"

The door swung open immediately with her daughter hiding behind the door. Sam looked over at her and put down the toilet seat cover so that she could sit on it. "What's up honey? Your dad said you've been here for over an hour and the water hasn't been..."

"I have my," Gabriella paused trying to think back into the sessions of Health Class from St. Augustine's. "Period. I have my period."

"What?" Sam asked surprised. How could she? She hasn't even hit eight yet! She was still a kid!

"And there aren't any pads or tampons here because... Mommy please help?"

"Oh honey, is that why you've been here for so long?"

Gabriella nodded and bit her lip. "I'm sorry I didn't tell daddy. He would just freak out and..."

"He wouldn't know what to do about it. I know babe, nobody's mad at you."

"You're not?"

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. This isn't your fault. This isn't anyone's fault. It's just something that means that you're a woman now baby, and you've got to be responsible with your choices. Especially now."

"I know mom, we had health class."

"Oh, yeah," Sam smiled walking over to her and giving her a hug. "Tell you what, I'm gonna go outside and... You know what a tampon is right?"

"Mom..."

"Well, that's all I have right now and Midol so you don't cramp later when we're out. Are you... okay with that?"

"Could we buy some pads later?" Gabriella asked. Sam smiled at her and walked out the door walking to the living room to Martin who looked at her questioningly.

"What happened in there? You were in there for a long time too," Martin asked worried. "She's okay right?"

"She's fine, Martin. Just," Sam paused looking for the right words to say. "Something came in a little bit earlier than we all expected and she doesn't know how to deal with it."

"Oh."

"Yup," Sam nodded walking back from the kitchen with a glass of water. "Could you go to the store and buy her pads please? So we don't waste time?"

"Yeah, what kind?"

"The kind I get."

"Alright," Martin nodded as he saw Sam disappear in the bathroom. He sighed massaging his temples before standing up, now he not only had Sam to worry about while PMSing, he also had his little girl to worry about now. If he felt old earlier this morning, he really felt old now.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So, where do you wanna go first? Ellis Island, or... Statue of Liberty?" Sam asked Gabriella as they stood at the third level of the ferryboat that was on the Hudson taking them to either Ellis Island, or Liberty.

"Which one would take the shorter time?"

"Liberty, we don't even have to go down. They don't allow for us to climb up there anymore anyways."

"Even with you special badges?" Gabriella asked.

"We can't use ours, ask Grandpa Victor, he'll be happy to bring you up there."

"He's too old!" Gabriella exclaimed making Sam chuckle a little. That was true.

"We could just look at it from here and then go to the Ellis Island. Learn about your past history," Martin said interrupting them and handing Sam her coffee and Gabriella her hot dog. They were lucky that they got into the ferryboat that had hot water. It was always cold traveling across the Hudson especially as it was September already. That meant fall, and fall meant cold. Sometimes warm, but just preparing for winter, cold.

"Who came from Ellis Island?"

"Look over here and smile sweetie," Sam ordered putting up the camera and taking the picture handing the camera to Martin so that he could take a picture of them.

"Well, I don't know, maybe somebody in my family. For sure, we know your dad's family came from here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, well my great great grandfather actually came in to the voyage when you know the story of why they say that this island is one of hope and tears?" Martin asked her. Gabriella shook her head.

"Why is it daddy?"

"Well, there was this woman. She traveled here from Europe to be with her husband who was rich and had a plantation in Virginia."

"And then?" Sam asked. She hasn't heard of this story.

"When she got here, she was denied because nobody had claimed her as family. She told them about her husband but there was no such man that had gone by."

"What happened to her?"

"She was sent back the next day. Her husband came by later and demanded that she was to be put on the very next trip here. On her third trip across the Atlantic, she met Grandmama Caoimhe."

"She did? Really?" Gabriella asked.

"She did. Anyways, back here, everyone heard about it and there were newspaper journalists and a lot of people had come waiting for her. When the ship finally docked, she was dead."

"She died?!"

"Yeah," Martin nodded.

"That's not a very happy story daddy."

"No it's not sweetie, but I think that's why people say that the island is that," Sam explained. Gabriella just nodded and looked over at everyone as they made a procession down. The three of them followed. "Do we need tickets?"

"Not that I know of," Martin answered Sam ushering her inside of the building.

"Daddy, I want a picture overlooking the city."

"They have them here?" Sam asked her.

"Jeremiah has one with his mom and dad. I want one too," Gabriella said nodding.

"Okay hon, whatever you want."

"Yay."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"How come you guys never took me here?" Gabriella asked them as they sat outside Trinity church. She was thrilled to know that it was the place where they had shot National Treasure. They were just sitting around there eating their sushi.

"Gab, let's not talk about that okay?"

"Okay mom," Gabriella nodded. "Hey, mom?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Isn't that Jason?"

"Where?" Sam asked looking around. As far as she knew Jason was over at Montgomery visiting family.

"Over there, with the brunette in the gray and black suit."

Sam looked at the direction that Gabriella was pointing as did Martin. He was curious as to why the hell Jason was standing around in the middle of the day with a hot brunette. He had to admit they were walking pretty close for friends or relatives. He looked at Sam whose jaw was clenching trying to keep it all in for their daughter's sake. He knew more than anyone that even the tiny hint of her "better half" being with someone OTHER than her was bad in her books.

"Gab, let's go throw these away and walk around. I'll uhn..." Martin said standing up and motioning Gabriella to stand up as well.

"But..."

Martin narrowed his eyes at her and she stood up throwing her trash and walking over to her father letting them walk around. Martin kept his eyes on Samantha who was now biting her lip as she watched her boyfriend reach down and kiss some other woman.

"You okay?" he mouthed to her.

"You guys wait for me inside okay?" Sam said standing up and walking to the direction that Jason was at. She had something to say, and since her daughter was out of ear shot now, she could say it.

"Hey Jason, what are you doing here and not in Montgomery?" Sam asked as she approached them. Jason froze letting go of his grip on the other woman's face. Sam knew that she was confused, and that made it all the much easier to hate Jason.

"Well you see..."

"And who is this beautiful woman?" Samantha asked not giving him the time to reply.

"She's uhm... She's..."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" the brunette asked looking from Jason to Samantha.

"I'm Samantha, Jason's OTHER girlfriend."

"You have another girlfriend?!"

"Look... I didn't..."

"Fuck you Jason," Sam said walking off as the brunette made a scene yelling at him and then eventually walking away. Sam entered the church and going into the bathroom standing in line. It was a long line she had to admit, but she needed to splash cold water on her face, she needed to cool down before she sees her daughter and Martin.

"Sam," Martin said touching her shoulder making her jump in surprise. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just... I need to wash my face."

"Go cut, Gab's almost in the front. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. If anyone here gives you trouble, I have my badge."

"Thanks," Sam smiled nodding walking over at the front to her daughter hearing groans. It was the least she expected.

Martin walked over at the chapel that was right out side and sat down. He needed to pray. This was another one of those men who would close Samantha off to the world and probably not let her find the happiness she deserved. She was such a great woman, she just had the wrong taste in men. She always had a thing for bad boys, guys with guns, and that has taken it's toll on her. She just turned forty-one. Settling down is what she needed even though she had rightfully refused to do so. Shaking his head, he knelt down and placed his hands in front of him. Then, he prayed.


	10. Chapter 10

R - rated, this chapter (:

* * *

Chapter 10

Martin walked out of Gabriella's room to find Sam in his living room chugging down the bottle of tequila. Clearly she was hurt. Clearly, Jason was someone she fell for. He sat down next to her just staring at her while she started at the TV not really paying attention. He wondered if she was like that when they separated. He wondered how much hurt he had caused her and if it was just about the same amount of hurt she caused him.

"He said he was visiting his family in Alabama," Sam said catching Martin's attention. He moved closer to her letting her know that he was there for her. He didn't like seeing tears in her eyes. It made his heart clench and made him want to just scoop her up in his arms and tell her that it was okay. That everything would be okay. "How big of a fool am I? He didn't even have an accent!"

"He's the fool Sam. He's the one that let go of you."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not. Anyone who let go of you is a fool, present company included," Martin agreed not really watching what he says anymore. Sam had finished half the bottle of the full bottle tequila she had. She wouldn't remember what it was that he said the by the time she wakes up. She never does. Especially with that much liquor in her system corrupting her brain. She must really have wanted to get waisted. She must really have been in love.

"Eh, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

"No, you don't," Sam shook her head. "I should've just sworn off men after our divorce. Would've been that much easier and I wouldn't be in this much... Don't look at me like that!" she yelled pointing a finger at him and poking him with it on the chest. "Poor Samantha, she can't satisfy a man. They all have to have someone else..."

"Sam, it's not like that."

"It was like that with you," Sam retorted. Martin froze. That hurt.

"Sam," he sighed. Sam put her finger out and motioned no. "Sam."

"I loved you, very very much. You know that?"

"I love you too Sam," Martin admitted.

Sam shook her head, "No. No you don't. You just wanted a family with me and someone to be home and fuck and cheat on..."

"I didn't cheat on you Samantha."

"No, but you did."

Martin took the fourth of the tequila and gulped it down needing to get drunk. He didn't want to have the memories of the conversation they were having. He knew that if he turned and walk away, she would shout, wake up Gabriella and the rest would just ruin tomorrow Her birthday. "No, you assumed I did."

"The woman who came up to our table confirmed it."

"She was a friend!" Marin defended. Sam shook her head and laughed.

"Yeah, a fuck friend!"

"I didn't need a fuck friend. You made us fuck enough for me to be satisfied for a whole damn lifetime!"

"Then why did you leave us?!" Sam shouted. "Why the hell did you not come home one night and made it turn into a month and then... What the fuck did I do wrong?!"

At this rate, Samantha had tears running down her eyes. She wanted to know. Her drunk mind was saying everything that she was afraid to say when she was in the right mind. It was a nice change of pace to finally be honest with herself and him about what had happened. It has been five years, and still they were still aching for closure from each other.

"Nothing, you did nothing wrong Sam."

"Then why didn't it work?!" She screamed not really caring anymore. She couldn't help what she was feeling. She gave him what she wanted, she didn't hide it. She wasn't closed off or pushing away, and yet, she still lost him. "Why didn't we work?"

"I... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, like that does anything to ease the pain. This is your fault! I wish you'd gotten killed!" She said not really holding anything in. When she saw the hurt look in his eyes beside the glassy drunken look. It made her sober up a bit. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"You're not sorry. You're just speaking your mind."

"You really hurt me."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I love you, you know that?" Martin asked her. Sam looked up at him smiling weakly and shaking her head.

"I didn't."

'Well I do, and I think that you're too good to be affected by Jason and me and who ever else hurt you," Martin said pulling her into his arms again. Sam nodded her head into the embrace and cried into the hallow of his neck.

"Promise me it's gonna be okay," Sam muttered into his neck as tears just continued falling out of her eyes and onto his skin. "Promise me that I won't be hurt anymore…"

"I promise," Martin said nodding.

Sam lifted her head of his neck and kissed him softly on his lips. She just wanted to feel like someone wanted her again. She thought she had that again with Jason, but it turned out he was openly cheating on her behind her back. With a woman much younger, much prettier in her opinion.

"Let's get you to bed shall we?"

"I stay, but only if I get to sleep in your warm warm warm cozy cozy cozy arms," Sam replied looking up at him. Martin argued with himself, it was either send her out there where she wasn't safe, or let her stay in his home where he could take care of her and fulfill one of his dreams. To hold her at night again. If he chose door one, he'd probably regret it. In Sam's drunken state—as much as he didn't like it—her legs were seemingly open to any man. If something happened to her, he would constantly blame himself. Shaking his head, he knew that the second option was the best choice. It was just the awkwardness that would follow but its not like they talk anymore. It's not like they work in the same team anymore. He heads White Collar and she does for Missing Persons. Second door. Taking the second door defiantly.

"Alright. Let's uhn... Let's go to bed."

"Okay," Sam easily agreed standing up and wrapping her arms around his waist showering his neck with kisses as they walked on the hallway taking them to the masters bedroom. "Have I told you how much I missed you?" she asked him as she slipped her hands under his shirt moaning as she felt on his six pack. He was really something.

"Sam, you've got to stop that," Martin said disengaging himself from her. He didn't want to make a fool of himself and let them get carried away to regret it in the morning. He couldn't. They've gone a long way since the divorce and five years later their friendship was still on shaky ground to say the least. One slip up and it'd be back to square one, only this time, they have a daughter who could understand what was going on around her. They didn't need to traumatize her and ruin her life more than they already have.

"Hold on, I'll get you something to wear."

"Who said I have to wear anything?" Sam asked walking towards him again and pushing him down onto the bed straddling him and pushing her hips into his. Even in her drunken state, and even if it has been more than five years, she still knew what turned him on. She knew him like the back of her hand.

"Sam, please get off of me."

"I can't," Sam replied kissing him hard. She couldn't possibly, not when she was in bed with him. Letting her tongue wet his lips, she pleaded for entrance to his mouth. He obliged quickly all rational thoughts slipping from his head as her tongue entered his mouth. There was no turning back now.

Samantha groaned as Martin flipped them over wanting control as he simultaneously took Samantha's shirt off and threw it somewhere across the room. She did the same and immediately searched for his lips that were on her neck bitting and sucking not caring if there was a huge hickey there tomorrow When he reached the skin of where her neck met her shoulder, she couldn't help but moan out loud. That spot had defiantly missed his lips.

"More Martin," she groaned as she reached at the hem of his pants unbuttoning it and pushing it over his hips along with his boxers and out of the way for them. Martin in turn let his hands wander off unhooking her bra and throwing it some where, his lips never leaving her body as he undid her pants and discarded it as well.

"Foreplay?" Martin asked him looking down at her and admiring her body. She definatly have kept it toned, but not too much that she looked like a man with the muscles.

"Not now, just fuck me. Please."

Martin nodded and slipped into her in one quick motion thrusting faster and faster until they came into their climax together silencing each other as much as they could by frantic kisses.

"I love you Martin," Sam whispered to him as he rolled over to his side of the bed.

"I love you too."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Daddy wake up it's my birthday!" Gabriella yelled from the hallway and going out in the living room. She was used to having her gift first thing in the morning before breakfast. That's why she was surprised that when she had went inside the living room, she found no present to open. Frowning, she walked back into the hallway and opened the door to her dad's room. What was in there surprised her though. Not to say that she wasn't happy, that was far from it. It just surprised her. Her mom was facing the window her hands out of the blanket with her fingers intertwined with Martin's who was spooned tight behind her. Gabriella shook her head with a smile walking out of the bedroom and closing the door again and going into the kitchen making herself breakfast. She'd let them wake up in their own time.

About half an hour later, Samantha awoke with a killer headache and the strange feeling of comfort. Groaning, when she felt herself naked and saw a familiar hand intertwined with hers, her headache suddenly became more than just a headache of a hangover. Untangling her fingers from his and rubbing her eyes sitting up, she tired to from logical thoughts.

"Mmm, what time is it?" Martin asked her.

"It's... NINE THIRTY?!"

"What?" Martin asked sitting up with her covering his lower parts with the blanket. "Shit."

"Yeah, really Martin?"

"You think she saw us like this?" Martin asked getting out of bed and gathering their discarded clothes from last night and placing them in one corner. "I'm guessing you wouldn't want to wear these right now?"

"Can I just borrow a shirt and boxers please?" Sam asked eying the clothes she was wearing yesterday. She couldn't wear that and let Gabriella suspect something was going on, when there really wasn't. Was there/

Martin walked over to her handing her a plad patterned boxer shorts and the t-shirt he knew she loved. She nodded as a thank you and set the clothes aside rubbing her temples. "You want aspirin?"

"Would you give me a couple? I think I've had way too much to drink last night."

"I think we both did," Martin retorted going inside the bathroom of the master's bedroom and coming out with a glass of tap water and two aspirin tablets. "Here you go, anything else?"

"No, thanks. Are you okay?" Sam questioned. He seemed relatively alright with everything, he didn't freak out aside from the fact that they over slept a little.

"I'm alright, my hangover isn't as bad as yours."

"Good, at least Gab will have one parent who's not having the urge to stay next to the toilet for the day."

Martin frowned and walked over to the trash, "You need it?"

Sam shook her head and smiled. "No, I was just… What are we suppose to do now?"

Martin sat down next to her on the bed not meeting her eyes just looking down at their hands which were there side by side. "Can we talk about this later? I don't want our decisions to ruin Gab's big day."

Sam nodded and took his hand in hers intertwining their fingers. "Okay. Let's go outside and greet our daughter. Knowing her, she's probably on the couch eating her Cocoa Puffs by now."

"You got that right."

"I always do," she joked getting out of the room hoping that last night wouldn't knock down the foundation of friendship they had just had started to build again. She really hoped she didn't ruin it. After all, she was the one who was drunk. She was the one who was vulnerable. He squeezed her hand as they saw Gabriella sitting there on the couch throwing Cocoa Puffs in her mouth. They let go of each other's hand as they approached her greeting her happy birthday.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

His leg was bouncing off on under the table in anticipation. He had a date, and this time, he really liked her. She was everything he wanted and more, added the fact that she didn't mind that he has a daughter and was married. Of course it was only them being at the bar having a couple of drinks but that didn't matter. He had a date. Woppy!

"Hey Martin, sorry I'm running late," Lynn greeted him as she sat down on the chair across of his in the bar. Martin just nodded. She was forgiven. As long as she showed up.

"It's alright. Can I get you anything?"

"Grey goose Martini, please."

"Coming right up," Martin said smiling and standing up walking over to the bar. He couldn't ruin this one. They were at the bar, they weren't at a fancy restaurant where he could have the possibility of screwing it all up by expecting another date.

"Martin?" a familiar female voice snapped him out his thoughts as soon as he got to the bar. He glanced behind him and was greeted by Elena. It had been a long time since he had seen her. She was busy with her team, Danny was busy with the firm. The old tight packed team had drifted apart through the years, and he hated to admit that his divorce with Samantha had something to do with it.

"Hey Elena, how are you?"

"I'm great. It's been a long time Martin," Elena said looking to her left subtly trying to spot the table where Martin came from not looking over at the table where she came from hidden in the corner for Sam's reaction. She somehow already knew it.

"It certainly has. What have you been up too? Danny giving you trouble?"

"Virgin margarita and an olive Martini," the bartender said putting the drinks on a little black tray. Elena took out a her card and handed it to the bartender turning her attention back to Martin.

"Nope, no trouble. Who are you here with?"

"Oh, my uhm… My girlfriend Lynn. You wanna meet her?" Martin asked knowing it was rude to offer otherwise. He didn't really want Elena meeting her though. Elena and Sam had stayed close friends along with Vivian. She didn't want Elena sizing Lynn up before things go serious.

"Nah, I have my own people to be with."

"Oh who?" Martin asked. If it was Danny, he would really like to go and talk to him.

"Nobody you know," Elena said walking away with the drink as soon as the bartender handed her her American Express back. Martin followed her with his eyes as he gave his order in. What he saw shocked him, Sam was sitting there staring at him with a defeated gaze. When his eyes met hers, she quickly turned away and started chatting up with Elena.

He wondered what that was about. Was she sad to see him move on after everything? He shook his head. She didn't have a right to be sad. She was the one that suggested that the night they had together three months ago was a mistake. Something that should never have happened because it complicated things for them so much more than it already was. He sighed taking the drinks back to his table. Great, another date ruined by his memories of Samantha.

_"Did Tysha go home?" Samantha asked picking up the paper plates with pizza crusts and throwing them in the big black bag that she carried around trying to clean up Martin's place._

_"Yeah. She was the last one."_

_"Okay," Sam nodded wishing that she didn't approve of her daughter staying over with her friends over this weekend. It was the least she could do though, her daughter was growing up. It was time to let go of her._

_"Sam, take a seat."_

_"I can't, I have to clean up," Sam motioned at the living room which looked like a tornado has hit it. What else would she have expected? Thirty kids and two cakes. Not a good combination._

_"We need to talk first."_

_"There isn't anything to talk about Martin," Sam shook her head. She had decided that her night with Martin was a night to forget. She couldn't risk getting hurt. Not for the third time. Not by him._

_"What are you talking about Sam? We had…"_

_"Sex. I'm well aware that we had sex Martin," Sam nodded and continued, "and as much as I would love to replay the events of last night. We can't. We have a daughter, and if we try to make this work again and fail. She's going to be traumatized. I don't want her to turn into me, Martin. "_

_"What makes you think we won't work Sam?"_

_"Because, we never do." Sam said turning back into cleaning. Martin just nodded knowing that once she gets and idea in her head, she would stick with it. She was stubborn like that._

_As Sam picked up the litter around. She closed her eyes for a few seconds bitting her lip hoping that the tears wouldn't fall. She didn't expect him to give in that easily. She thought she would have to fight with him on the fact that no matter how right it felt, it would still all fall apart and end up being so hurtful and wrong. She couldn't risk her heart and she was thankful he knew that somehow._

"Are you okay?" Lynn asked noticing Martin being out of it for a while.

"Yeah, sorry. Tough case."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"I'd rather not," Martin said. Lynn just nodded her head and followed Martin's gaze on the booth that was at the corner of the bar where a brunette was seemingly comforting a familiar looking blond.

"Offer's still on the table."

"I know, thanks," Martin smiled nodding and looking down at his scotch. He needed to move on and forget. "You wanna get out of here?"

"Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

"I am," Martin said leaning down and kissing her hard. He needed to forget, and she could make him do that if only for a couple of hours. At least he would forget.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Delgado," Elena answered hoping she was going to get called into to work. As harsh as that sounds, her children were at separate sleepover parties and Danny was called to court to fix something. Looking around, she sighed. She wanted to go out with friends but she was too lazy to do so. Besides, there wasn't anything new. There was nothing at all to talk about.

"Does Danny know you answer your phone like that?"

"Sam?" Elena asked not sure. She looked at the caller ID. It was Sam.

"Yeah, are you doing anything right now?"

"Why? You have something for us to do?"

"Of course. It's Friday night, how about making it a girl's night. I need to talk to you about something," Sam suggested. "If Danny's okay with it of course."

"You really think I would ask Danny if it was okay for me to go out with you of all people?

"You're right. I forget who wears the pants in that relationship," Sam chuckled. At least there was an example of how inter-office romances work. Danny and Elena. They have been so in love and even if they had their ups and down, they never let it tear them apart. She had to admit, a part of her was jealous that they had made it work, but the rest of her was happy.

"That's right. Tell me when and where, I'll be there as soon as I could."

"Okay, uhn. You know the Emerald bar over at Greenwich Village?"

"The one swamped with college students?" Elena questioned. "Yes I do."

"I'll meet you there in thirty minutes?"

"This better not be something to make you introduce a minor as your boyfriend."

"Don't worry, it's not that," Sam chuckled.

"Alright then Spade, see you in half an hour."

Thirty minutes later, Elena walked inside the bar scanning for a Samantha who was sitting at the far corner her gaze settled on one direction. Following it, she saw Martin there sitting by his lonesome fidgeting with the napkin that was served along with his drink. She sighed, so this was Sam's problem?

"Hey," Elena greeted as she slipped into the booth. Sam snapped her head and greeted her with a weak smile.

"Hey."

"So, why did you call me?" Elena asked getting straight to the point. Sam chuckled; she should've figured that. Elena was exactly the type to "beat around the bush".

"Can't a girl just call her best friend to catch up?"

"Not when you're the best friend."

Sam chuckled looking at the door as soon as it chimed. There emerged a brunette whose face she recognized. Martin's girlfriend, Lynn.

"You want something to drink?" Elena asked seeing only a bottle of water in front of Sam.

"I'll get a virgin margarita."

"Virgin?"

"Please, just humor me. I promise I'll explain later," Sam said her gaze returning over to the couple. She had to admit that it hurt to see Martin out with his girlfriend.

"Sure, whatever," Elena said walking away to the bar.

Sam sat there looking at the girlfriend. She seemed sweet. Gabriella had filled her in on Lynn Reynolds. She was a professor at NYU for something she couldn't pronounce and she liked Gabriella and was nice to her. At least she had manners. She then looked over at Elena wondering what was taking her so long. Right, she was talking to Martin.

"I have to tell him," she muttered to herself laying a hand on her stomach. A gesture she didn't think she would be able to do again. She was pregnant with his child and even if they weren't speaking or getting along at all. She knew he had the right to know. He was the father and that gives him all the right in the world to know.

"Here you go," Elena said setting the margarita in front of her and slipping into the booth once again. Elena looked at her fair waiting for any kind of physical response. So far, her lips just twitched. She could see that she was looking over at Martin who as far as she could tell was looking at her at the same time. Suddenly, her head bowed down and she looked up at Elena with a weak smile.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. I just want my explanation of why you ordered a virgin margarita."

Sam sighed and looked at her for a moment then looked over at Martin at the corner of her eye. "I'm pregnant. "

Elena gasped. "Is it Jason's?"

Sam shook her head and whispered, "It's Martin's."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What?" Elena asked surprised her Spanish accent coming back. "How the hell is that possible?"

"Elena," Sam said raising an eyebrow at her trying to lighten up the mood.

"I know, right. Look, what are you gonna do? Have you told him yet? How far along are you? Does Gabriella know?"

"Easy with the questions there Larry King. One by one."

"Okay," Elena nodded looking over her friend trying to gauge her emotional state by her appearance. "You wanna tell me what's on you r mind? Because I know that all my questions would be answered that way."

"Okay, where do you want me to start?" Samantha asked her.

"I want you to start when it started."

"Okay, well they day before Gabriella's birthday and," Samantha started. For about ten minutes, she gave Elena the cliff notes version of what had happened from Gabriella's party to now. All Elena could do was occasionally glance over at Martin's table as she nodded seeing her talking away as he was nodding like he was listening. "... And I don't know Elena. I just, I don't what to do. Should I tell him? If I tell him, what's he gonna say? If I don't tell him, what if he finds out anyways and -- I just. I'm going out of my mind and it's not because of the damn hormones. It's... Martin makes me feel all..." Sam paused as she looked over at Martin who was talking to the other woman. "I love him."

Elena nodded reaching over to her and pulling her into an embrace. "It's going to be okay Sam. You'll figure it out. You've come this far."

"What if... What if I tell him?"

"And?"

"Do you think he'll fight me on keeping..."

"Shhh. Don't think about it," Elena said rubbing circles on her back. She looked over at Martin's table seeing him in a passionate lip lock.

"How... How am I supposed to get through Elena?"

"By being strong and not forgetting that me and Danny. We're just a phone call away."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Mommy? Are you okay? Do you want me to call the hospital?" Gabriella asked walking over to her as she sat next to the toilet where she just recently disposed the contents of her stomach.

"No sweetheart, I'm alright."

"Are you sure mommy? I mean… You just puked out of…"

"Gabriella, I said I'm fine," Sam raised her voice scaring Gabriella. Sighing, she leaned her head at the side of the toilet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you honey, I'm sorry. Mommy's just… stressed."

"Could I do anything to help?"

"I don't think there's anything you could do to help honey."

"Are you going to at least tell me what's wrong?" Gabriella asked her sitting down next to her in the cold bathroom floor. Sam looked at her knowing that her daughter had the best intension. Gabriella wouldn't hurt her. She wouldn't turn her away for anything.

Sam nodded and took her hands and placed them on her stomach. "I'm going to have a baby, and you're going to be the big sister."

"Really?" Gabriella asked her eyes lightening up in delight for a split second until she realized something. "But I wouldn't be its real big sister. I'll only be half, and you're gonna get married to the dad and forget all about me and..."

"Gabs, I think you've been watching too much chick flicks."

"I'm gonna be the half sister right?"

Sam shook her head. "You have to promise to keep this between you and me. Just until I tell your dad okay?"

"Okay."

"Say I promise," Sam instructed. She knew she sounded like the one who was a child, but she didn't want Martin knowing about the baby before she wanted him to know. She also knew how big Gabriella's mouth could be.

"I promise I won't tell daddy anything."

"The baby's father is yours, honey."

"So I'm going to be a _real_ big sister?" Gabriella asked.

Sam nodded and smiled at her. "You're gonna be a real big sister."

"Can I go with you to your appointments mommy? I wanna go. I wanna be there for you," Gabriella said too quickly for her own good.

"I'll make all the appointments on the weekends so that you could go with me."

"Awesome!"

"I was hoping you thought so," Sam smiled at her gripping the toilet to stand up. "Now, you want some pizza? The little tyke in me wants some."

"Pizza's good, green peppers?" Gabriella asked.

"When have we ordered pizza without them?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sam was lying around at home reading one of those baby books that she had kept but never read. She figured that she should read it now, she was doing this alone and she needed all the independent help she could get. The baby books offered them, and considering she was four months along already, and still haven't told Martin, she really needed to get her mind off of worrying about it. How would he react? There was no choice but to keep the baby. Would he want custody? Would he disown the child? She just didn't know. All she did know what that on the month that she was due, Martin had told her he was taking Lynn to Washington to meet his parents. All she had done was tell him that she would be happy to take care of Gabriella while he did so. She couldn't tell him that it hurt. It was all her undoing after all.

The ringing of her home phone—which was barely used—took her out of concentrating on the words on the book. "Jason! Please just leave me al..."

"It's Martin."

"Oh, you don't usually call my cell phone," Sam stated having a bad feeling about the call. From the moment he had mentioned his name, he sounded... weird.

'That's because I tried and you didn't answer."

"Oh, why are you calling? Do you want to drop Gabs off here?"

"No, I want some answers."

That was it. That was all Samantha needed to hear. Damn it, Gabriella had slipped up and told her dad. Damn it. As much as she loved her daughter, sometimes she just wanted to take a break from being her mother. Especially when she does things like that.

"Samantha?"

"What?"

"Sister Bynes called me, Gabriella got into a fight today," Martin stated.

"I don't get how that's a question."

"Gabriella fought with the girl because she said that I didn't want her little brother. Gabriella has no little brother."

"Again, I don't see or hear the question," Samantha said.

"I asked her about it. She told me."

"Told you what Martin?" Samantha asked already knowing what it was that Gabriella had confessed to him about the baby.Damn, this really wasn't the time for this.

"That you're pregnant. That she's been to every gynecologist appointment that you had. That she's having a baby sister and I'm the father and that you're keeping the baby no matter what. Did you lie to her? Or..."

"Why the hell would I lie to her?" Sam asked him. "If it was Jason's I would tell her. If it was some stranger, I would tell her. But it's yours. God knows how much I wish it isn't, but it's yours. That night of her birthday, we conceived a child."

"And you're sure you're keeping it?"

"I'm not giving it away if that's what you're thinking," Sam said. "Abortion is out of the question."

"I know Samantha, I just wanted to be sure."

"For what? So you could be the good guy and step up? I'm sorry to say but it's too fucking late for that!"

"Are you letting me be a part of it's life?"

"His life," Sam corrected him. "Don't go treating the child like he's an object. If you don't want him, fine. I do. It's my turn to raise my kid. I never got to do it with Gabriella, but I'll get to do it with him."

"Are you going to let me be part of his life?" Martin asked. "Let me help out a bit? Give me visiting rights?"

"No."

"No?" Martin asked confused.

"You're not to be a part of his life."

"What? Why not? I have the right to Samantha. He's my son."

"And Gabriella's my daughter, but that didn't seem to matter to you," Samantha retorted. He needed to know how much that hurt him. How taking Gabriella with him even if she had gave him the permission to broke her heart into different pieces and those pieces were thrown somewhere out in the sea never to be found again. He needed to know how much not seeing your child grow up hurt.

"You told me I could raise, her. You only asked for weekend custody and visiting rights!"

"Because I knew if we even went through with the court hearings I would end up with nothing more than a penny and not even a fourth of my God damned heart!"

"What the fuck are you talking about Samantha?" Martin asked. "I would've given her to you and..."

"And your parents would've objected making you fight for custody and the shit after that. Please don't fight me on this one. I need my son, and I know I'm being greedy not wanting to share him but I want to see him grow up, I want to be the one to chase his demons away or help him get the monsters under his bed away."

"I'm not asking you not to do that Sam I just want to..."

Click. She had hung up on him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lynn walked inside the restaurant looking around trying to spot the mysterious man that had called her earlier at her office asking her to meet up with him at Tavern on Green. He said he could bring her and Martin back together. Something she wanted. She didn't care if he impregnant another woman who just happened to be his ex-wife. That would just save her all the trouble of getting pregnant herself!

"Have you reserved a table with us Ma'am?" The man on the entrance asked her.

"Yes, I'm here to meet with a Mr. Wells."

"Oh right, well he's on the table far on the corner near the window Ma'am, would you like me to escort you there?"

"It's okay, thank you," Lynn said smiling politely at him walking to the direction the man had instructed her to go. She was surprised to see a man with sandy blond hair and green eyes looking up at her motioning her to take the seat opposite of him. When he called her, she thought he would be one of those old unattractive stalkers. Boy was she wrong! He was hot, like those guys who models for those underwear like Calvin Klein and he was not old at all. He seemed to be in his early—if not mid—thirties.

"I'm Jason, Jason Wells."

"Lynn Reynolds, nice to meet you Jason," Lynn said extending her hand out and shaking his.

"The pleasure's all mine. Now please, order food so we could get down to business."

Looking over the menu and giving the waiter their orders Jason looked at her and sized her up. She leaned forward and did the same thing. As if she hasn't. That was the first thing she did when she saw him.

"So, you must be wondering why I called you."

"That thought may have crossed my mind," Lynn nodded with a smile. Jason sat back and took a sip of the wine before continuing the conversation.

"Just how much do you want Martin back?"

"A lot. I'd kill to have him back."

"Funny how you chose those words," Jason smiled at her. She looked at him weirdly. Was he psychotic?! She didn't really mean she would kill Samantha to get Martin back.

"I don't... I don't think I could kill Samantha I mean..."

Jason shook his head with a smile. "We're not killing Samantha dear. We're killing the spawn that had them get back together."

"Gabriella?"

"No, the baby that's in Samantha."

"We're killing the fetus?"Lynn asked Jason trying to clarify it all. That was it, she was in the presence of a mad mad man. A mad, yet smart, mad mad man.

"So are you in?"

"Just tell me how I could help."


	18. Chapter 18

Normal 0

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Chapter 18

Samantha turned on the radio as she drove back to the city from Martin's home. She had stayed there for about three days in a row already and had been spending more and more time with both her daughter and Martin in the last month since she had told him about her being pregnant. She remembered the next day when she showed up at work. Martin had surpirsed her asking her to forgive him and he would do nothing of the sort in the terms of taking the baby away from her. All he wanted was to be in his baby boy's life. That was all he wanted. For the whole day, he didn't let out in being all nice and sweet, destiny seemed to be on his side since their missing person had some trouble with WCC as well making Martin's unit work with hers.

Hearing her phone ring, she picked it up and put it in her ear knowing already who it was. "Did I leave anything?"

"Yeah, me."

"Stop being such a baby. I'm the one carrying ours," Sam joked smiling as she looked out at the freeway to New York.

"I know babe, and thank you for that."

"You could thank me by bringing cheesecake over when you come tomorrow."

"Yes Ma'am," Martin chuckled. "And I'll take a wild guess that baby boy Marty wants cheesecake?"

"You guessed right, but I'll hang up now. I don't want to cause an accident while I'm talking to you."

"Okay, I love you, baby."

"Me or the baby?" Sam asked with a smile.

"Both, call me as soon as you get home okay?"

"Yes sir."

"I mean it, I want to know that you got there safely," Martin pointed out. Sam shook her head the smile not leaving her face. He was really being over protective. If she let him, he would probably have wrapped her up in those bubble things that she loves to pop.

"I'll call you when I get there, and we love you too."

"Drive safely!"

Click.

Sam placed her cellphone at the cellphone holder that Martin had put in he car with a smile as she continued driving looking out at the beautiful lighten up city of New York.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"What are you talking about?" Lynn asked as Jason drove the car cutting people in the freeway. He needed to catch up to her to be able to do what he planned.

"I'm talking about the plan. What else do you think I'm fucking talking about?"

"I thought you were talking about," Lynn paused seeing the familiar SUV round up the corner speeding. "That's her car."

"You don't think I know that?" Jason snapped at her driving faster and doing it so that in the bumper-to-bumper city traffic, he would be behind her. Easy.

"Of course you do, you're the all knowing."

"Damn right I am!"

"Yeah," Lynn said as Jason slowed down keeping a fair distance from the tail of the SUV to the bumper of theirs. Just enough so that no car could cut through and take their position.

"They're honking at us Jason! Just do what was in the plan and get it over with. I don't like the honking!"

"Shut up."

"Do you think it'll work? Do you think that they'll take us back?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty damn sure she'll take me back."

"How can you be so confident about it?" Lynn asked surprised. His cockiness was annoying her.

"Because my plans always work. Now shut up. I need to concentrate."

"On doing what?"

Jason then stepped on the gas accelerating the car and forcefully hitting Sam's car just as soon as the lights turned red forcing her car to go speeding into the four way intersection a bigger SUV slamming into the passenger side.

"Now what do we do?" Lynn asked scared.

"We get the fuck out of here."

Lynn nodded and excited the car as soon as he pulled up into a dark alley. Samantha's accident would be considered as a hit and run. Hopefully, the FBI shouldn't be on this case.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

She didn't understand what it was. One moment she was smiling at a memory of her, Martin and their daughter as she stopped at the red light and the next thing she knew the SUV was skidding across the four way intersection another SUV hitting the passenger's side as the car fliped with the driver's side on the floor.

She reached for the cellphone that was there as she tried to keep herself from falling into the broken shards of glass that was her window. Dialing for an ambulance she needed help. She couldn't walk. She couldn't move her feet like it was paralized or something. She felt like she had when she was shot, except worse.

Suddenly there was a hard kick of pain in her stomach. Tears had started to fall down her eyes as she managed to move her arm and feel on the bump that had been her baby. She slowly moved her hand down, and as if her soul had been ripped out of her body, she saw herself lift her hands up to her face. Blood. It was covered with blood.

"Ma'am are you alright in there?" the firefighter that had come into the scene asked looking down from the shattered passenger side window. "Shit! She's bleeding!"

"My baby boy," Sam whispered tears falling uncontrollably down from her eyes as she just stared at the blood on her hands. Her baby's blood.

"Ma'am, we're gonna get you out of there as soon as we could. Could you move your feet?" the fireman asked her as he once again looked down pity on his face.

Sam wasn't paying attention, she was to caught up with the fact that her baby boy's blood was in her hands. That she would never get to see her son's face. Never get to hear his laughter. His first cries. All that had suddenly been ripped out of her grasp. She had nothing now. Martin had only come back to her because of the fact that she was pregnant and he wanted to be there. Gabriella would blame her because she wasn't diving carefully enough. She would blame herself for years to come.

Sam didn't even notice it that they had gotten her out of the car and was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital until she felt the EMT tug at her hand. "Don't touch me! Don't touch my baby!" she shouted hystericall her hands shaking.

"Ma'am, we need to clean you up..."

"Why?!"

"Ma'am,you've miscarried and the blood is all over..."

"No!" Sam said trying to get out of the EMT's grasp. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Give her sedatives, it's the only way to..."

"I don't need fucking sedatives! I need my baby!" Sam shouted again. The EMT shook her head, she felt for Samantha. She really did, but nothing was going to happen if they didn't sedate her. Except for the fact that her stress levels would be out of the charts.

"I'm sorry Ma'am."

Then that was it, her eyelids felt heavy and her eyes closed. It was the last she remembered of that day. The day when her life, a life, was ripped out of her.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Three knocks on her door snapped her out of her self-loathing. She knew she had done enough for a whole lifetime, and then some. But she couldn't help herself. It was her fault. She was too out of it to have paid attention to the light even thought the witnesses said otherwise. It was her fault that her baby boy died. She was probably too old now to conceive. Maybe not. She had just got traumatized by it. She knew that.

"Can I come it?" Martin's voice came from the other side of the door. It has been three days and she hasn't allowed him to see her. She didn't want too see hatred in his eyes. She didn't want to hear him blame her. She knew he did, and she had pictured it in her head and heard it in her dreams. Just hearing it for real would break her even more. If there was anything to be broken. No matter how much Elena had told her he wouldn't. He knew he did. He would just be too nice to say it, but she could read him.  
_  
"You know Sam, he's out there waiting for you to call him in. He hasn't left since he was called here," Elena told her friend._

"I can't face him. I can't," Sam paused breathing in trying not to hyperventilate.

It has been three days since the accident. Sam woke up the next day having that empty feeling that she only wished would go away through time, but it wouldn't. She knew that the emptiness was too much to be forgotten, to be healed. Deep wounds. Not only physically, but emotionally.

"You know what he asked me Sam?"

"What?"

"He asked my why you didn't want to see him, he asked me if I could ask you what it was he did wrong so that he could make it right and you would forgive him."

"It's not him who needs to ask for forgiveness, it's me."  


"Sam?"

"Yeah, come in," Sam sighed. She had to face him someday. Rather not stall it anymore than she already has. At least she'll have more time TRYING to recover from whatever it was that he was suppose to say to her.

"Hey, how you..."

"Okay," she replied not needing to hear the rest of his sentence. She has heard it in many different ways. "Gabriella's still at your parents?"

"Yeah, they said they could take her as long as we wish. They uhn..."

"Send their pities? Yeah, everyone does," Sam said bitterly. "Where's my son's body?"

Martin sighed and looked at her. "Sam..."

"Where's the body? I was five month's pregnant. Where's my baby boy?"

"He's... I bought him a little sarcophagus."

"You did?" Sam asked finally meeting his eyes. Martin just nodded and took a step closer to her taking her hand in his.

"I wanted to properly say goodbye, Gabriella picked it out. They're handling him for now..." Sam nodded her head and looked down at their adjoined hands. "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't..."

"It's okay to cry," Martin said pulling her into an embrace. Sam nodded her head and finally let her tears out. They stayed like that for hours letting the tears fall down both their eyes hoping that their baby boy knew that even if he was never born. Even though they have never laid their eyes on him, they knew he was beautiful. He was loved.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Spade," Sam answered her phone. She had changed her last name back, carrying the Fitzgerald name only reminded her of her son. She didn't need that.

She had come back to work a month after the accident. People hadn't expected her to come back that quickly. She had a miscarriage and she was in a car accident. Even Lisa Harris was surprised when Samantha knocked at her door asking her for a session because she wanted to get back to her feet and back into work. She was being too depressed being stuck inside the apartment having only Gabriella as a visitor. Elena was busy with her kids, Vivian was out at Washington trying to fix something and everybody else were having their own life.

"Hey it's me," Martin's voice came from the other side of the receiver. She hasn't talked to him since the accident. Which was odd. It would be Gabriella telling her when she would be dropped off and all the rest. It was weird hearing his voice. She often picture if her baby boy had lived through the accident, she would have his voice. His laugh. His dimpled smile. Would be the little Martin. Just like he joked of when they were trying to pick baby names together.

"Long time no talk."

"Nothing to talk about," Martin admitted.

"So that means this isn't a social call."

"I don't know, it depends. Do you know where our daughter is?"

"What are you talking about? It's Tuesday, she should be at school," Samantha replied confused. Has Gabriella skipped school? Has someone taken her as a twisted plot to get back at her and Martin, or even possibly Victor? Samantha shook those thoughts away from her mind. She needed to get full information first, before assuming the worst. Something she tended to do more often now.

"That's the problem. The school called me and said she didn't attend her homeroom or first period class. They asked why we haven't called to excuse her," Martin explained. "I thought you might have forgotten to drop her off or something. I was just checking."

"Well I didn't, I dropped her off in the parking lot at seven thirty. I wouldn't forget something like that Martin."

"I know, I just..." Martin paused. Samantha could her him kick something, the desk maybe? "Where the hell could she be?"

"You think she skipped school?"

"It's Gabriella we're talking about, Sam. She loves school more than anything!"

"I know Martin, do you think I should," Sam paused swallowing the lump on her throat glancing at her daughter's picture on her desk.

"I don't think. I know that you should Samantha. This is our daughter we're talking about."

"I know, I'll need um... I'll need you to come up here," Samantha said walking out into the bullpen the phone in her hands. "If you're not busy that is."

"I would never be to busy for my daughter, you should know that."

"I do," Sam said motioning her team over to the conference table in the middle trying not to show emotion. She was afraid that if she did, she would break down. Having the slightest chance that her daughter's picture would be posted up on that white board made her sick. Made her wish that all these things were just a nightmare and she would wake up any day now in her bed warm, cozy and happy.

"I'm getting in the elevator. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," Sam sighed looking over at her team and swallowing the lump in her throat and sighing deeply trying to calm herself down.

"Have we got one boss?" Peter asked her. Samantha just nodded her head looking each of them in the eye.

"Gabriella Fitzgerald, missing," Sam paused looking at her watch. It read ten thirty five. "two hours and five minutes."

For a second the bullpen was in complete silence. This was not good. Not good at all.  



	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Martin had come onto the twelvth floor, a floor her knew quite well. Looking around, he saw agents walking back and forth to the hallways. He spotted the bullpen of the Missing Person's Unite and saw everyone all at their desks working, looking up leads on their computers. Sam had probably already prepped them on the situation. He took a little more than fifteen minutes to get up there after all, he had to fix things with his team telling them what was going on. They had made sure that if the MPU needed help, he shouldn't think about cutting a WCC case off. Finding his daughter was more important, and they all knew it.He was thankful for his new team. It wasn't anything like Danny, Vivian, Jack, Elena and Samantha. But they were the best, and from what they had just told him about trying to help out all they could, he knew that they were.

"Sam?" Martin called out trying to open her office door. It wouldn't open though. It was locked. He wondered what she was doing in there. Talking to someone who knew where his daughter was in private? Breaking down? Killing herself? He hoped it wasn't the last two. He knew that she had been having destructive thoughts and tendecies. Ever since the accident, she'd been pushing herself to her limits. Trying to juggle having Gabriella there with her more often, making it a point to spend time with her and still being on top of her game in the FBI. "Samantha, we need to talk. Open the door."

After a few moments of just standing there, he heard the lock being turned and the office door opened reavealing Samantha fully composed looking at him in the eye with determination and strenght.

"I have all of them on it now. They'll tell me as soon as they get something. Boyfriend or whatever else she might be hiding from us."

"Good," Martin nodded looking behind her. "Could I come in?"

"Of course, sorry about that. I just needed a few moments to myself without getting interupted," Sam appologized sitting at her desk as Martin sat across from her. "Do you know anything that could make it so that we don't have to search that much? Anything about how she's feeling? She's been really closed off since..."

"Since you're accident."

"Yeah," Samantha nodded. "She hasn't talked to me about it. Has she talked to you about it?"

"No, I've asked her a million times about it. All she said was that she was fine," Martin said knowing full well where this conversation was heading. Suicide. Bottled up emotins tended to do that to people. He just hoped it wasn't the case, but then again, he was just probably thinking in "glass half empty".

"She's asked me once about how I felt about it."

"And?" Martin asked willing for her to continue. He hasn't spoken to her about the accident either. Gabriella was really her mother's daughter. Shrugging it all off. He just hoped that like Sam, she would be able to take what horrible things the vile world offered her and not turn away on all the great things.

"I just shrugged it off," Samantha answered her shoulders slumping together. "I didn't think it was something I should be talking to her about. I mean... I didn't want to worry her or get her worked up about it. Depress her. Please don't blame me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I... I know you blame me for the accident. I blame me too, I just... Can you not blame me for Gaby's disappearance? Even if it's just for now? I don't think I'll be able to make it if you do."

"Sam," Martin sighed. This wasn't the right time, nor the right place. But they had to talk about it eventually. They should stop trying to put it all of for another day. For another time. "I don't blame you for the accident."

"You don't have to lie to me Martin, I know you do."

"But I don't."

"Am I interrupting something?" Jaqueline asked knocking on at the door as she opened it.

"No, what've you got?"

"Well, she's been text messaging this number a lot. It's a track phone, which means there are no records of who owns it."

"How much is a lot?" Samantha asked.

"At least fifty times in the last two weeks. She called it this morning, at six."

"Alright, is there any way that we could trace it by the signal or something?" Samantha asked nodding looking over at the highlighted part of the phone record. She couldn't help but think that the phone number mean something. It was probably just her need for clues.

"There is, and I've already taken the liberty and do that, but as the phone on, the signals coming from it is from the dumpsters. It's been thrown away."

Sam sighed and looked over at Martin. She knew he could help at some way. "We're going to over my house to get her laptop. I need you to keep working on trying to figure out about that cellphone number and if there's anything else that would come up. Patterns on anything. Tell Peter to go over Martin's house and into Gabriella's room to look for clues as to where she is."

"You think she ran?" Jaqueline asked her.

"Until you find out otherwise, I do," Sam nodded. "Let's go Martin."

"You think she just ran?" Martin questioned her as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Could you get one of your people to save me the trip to the tech room and ask them if they could get into her Myspace, see if there's anything there?"

"Sure," Martin siad nodding taking his cellphone out more than happy to help. After ordering Jet to work on his daughter's Myspace, he turn looked at Samantha's refelection on the cool steel that stood as the walls of the building's elevator. "We're gonna find her Sam. I promise."

"I know, I just... I can't loose another child, Martin," Sam admited pinching the bridge of her nose. "We can't."

"I'll call my father and see if he could help us in any way. I'm sure having him would speed this all up."

"If you think it'll help," Sam nodded as a tear managed to escape her eyes. She put her hand up as an attempt to whipe it but Martin was too quick and did it first carresing her cheek until the elevator dinged open signalling that they were in the parking lot already.

"Are you ready for this Sam?"

"No, but I have no other choice."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Five hours later, and millions of suspects later, everyone on both White Collar and Missing Persons were working non stop trying to piece it all together. Trying to find a suspect, trying to find a reason. Nobody took a break. If they did, it was to get up and get coffee to bring back into the bullpen. Having the main head of the FBI's grandchild missing was a huge deal. The media was having a field day digging up whatever dirt they could find on Martin and Samantha and their families including the recent accident that was brining down bad memories for everyone involved.

"I have this gut feeling that there's something in the phone records that I missed," Jaqueline muttered flipping to the pages once again scanning the numbers that were in front of her. She looked up and over to Samantha's office which was currently occupied by Agent Spade, Agent Fitzgerald, Director Fitzgerald and his wife. SAIC Vivian Johson was also in there and so was the SAIC of Chicago, Jack Malone. Agent and Attourney Taylor were also there talking to them. She knew that the team who they replaced were in there now and she sometimes envied how close they all now were in this time of need. It made her wonder that in ten years time would this team be in the same position if there was a personal crisis.

"Jackie, look over there, she calls that number almost a hundered times in one week. Then it suddenly stops."

"You're right, why do you think it stops for?"

"I don't know but what if…"

"It has something to do with who took her? Or who she ran with. Why didn't we think of this before?!" she exclaimed typing busily at the system enetering the cellphone number that was written all over the record.

"Because it's so far back and teenagers these days have the attention span of a second grader wanting something a minute later getting bored with it."

"Right, so you think that whoever this person is switched their number into a track phone so that they couldn't be traced? That's really smart."

"But it's doable," he replied as Jason's picture popped out in front of him with his DMV records. "Isn't that Samantha's ex?"

"Well we've got motive."

"Let's go tell them now."

"Have you got something?" Samantha asked immdeeatly as she stepped foot in the office. Everyone looked at her with a hopeful looking hoping to God that she had something. Jackie swallowed the lump in the throat formed from. She really did hope she had something and didn't disapoint them with another dead end lead.

"Yeah we do."

"Well then, spit it out," Victor ordered sounding as harsh as he intended. He didn't like the pause. Time was running and the more time waisted the more the possibility that his grand daughter was dead. He didn't want to waste any more than necessary. He loved his grand daughter very much.

"Well sir, we looked at her phone records from a few weeks ago and found that she's been calling a certain number numerous times. We looked up his record and…"

"A name, give us a name."

"Jason Wells sir."

Martin looked at Sam who at that very instant the name was said looked down at her desk feeling so much guilt as ever. Once again, due to her stupidness and whatever else it was she was deciding that she would blame herself with, her daughter was missing. Now she understood why Martin was a better choice for Gabriella to stay with. It wasn't like Lynn or someone else that he was connected to was behind this all.

"Thank you, agents. We'll take it from here."

"Do you want us to do anything?" Jackie asked him not wanting to just sit back while Gabriella was still out there missing. The little girl had practically grew in the building and as she was the rookie when Samantha had given birth, she had most often spent time with the girl.

"I want you to work with the PD to see what you could get relating to this and the hit and run," Victor ordered them.

"But sir…"

"The name Jason Wells had come up in the investigation and I would like it for you to work with them. Is that a problem?"

"No sir, not at all."

"Good," Victor said turning to Samantha who sat there frozen in her seat as Vivian and Elena tried to comfrot her. They were one step closet to finding her. Now if only they'd get through the rest of the steps quicker to get to the destination. To get to Gabriella.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Gabriella sat down the TV tuned on a local channel playing Friends. When she didn't know what suddenly happened or if it was one of those flash report but next thing she saw was her hideous school picture flashing on the TV her mom's voice mixed in with her dad's and her grandparents begging her to come back to them.  
_  
"Please, just give our daughter back to us…"_

"Gabriella, if you're watching this, please come home baby…"

"And when we asked her infamous Grandfather -- the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation…"

"We just want to find her…"

"We don't think this is a political thing. We're doing all we could to find her, it's our goal to find her in once piece and alive. Her parents and the rest of the family and the Missing Persons Unite in both Manhattan and Albany are working really hard in this." 

The last person she recognized to be her Uncle Jack who she rarely got to see. As the camera focus into her mother's office were the blinds were drawn shut and into the bullpen where nobody would be seen fooling around. She knew she had done something bad and that everyone was in full state of panic. If she had only known about how much this whole thing would affect them she wouldn't have done it. But what the hell could she do? It was the only way she could get her parents to talk, to even act like parents to her.

"You see what you did, Gabby? You make them unhappy," Jason said stepping in the room the remote resting on his hands.

"I wanna go home. Bring me home!"

"I can't do that," Jason said patting the extra space beside him on the couch. "You called for my help to run away. Now I'm helping you. You should be careful what you wish for little girl."

"But I want to go home!"

"And I'm telling you that you can't. Now go be a good girl and ride the horses. If you get out of the bran thought the door, the dogs are there. If you try to run, I don't know where the hell you'll end up in. We're in the middle of nowhere missy."

"Please Jason? Please take me home?"

Jason laughed darkly. "You sound exactly like your mother."

Gabriella looked at him the way Samantha would look at suspects trying to read them. Jason just laughed at her shaking his head before leaving the room. What was she suppose to do now? Her mom had told her time and time again that people who run away would be put in jail. She didn't want that. She knew that Jason would make it turn so that he was the innocent one in the whole scenario and somehow, she thought he was. She was the one who asked him for help. She was the one who called him telling him she wanted to get away from her parents and knew he was the only one there willing to help her. But this isn't the Jason she had known over the years. This was some other creepy man who had a wall of her mother's picture and obsesses about her. This man was nothing like that guy who promised her that he'd be there for her no matter what happens between him and her mother.

She walked out to the freezing cold. Like her mother, she hated that. But there was nothing else to do inside but regret. Regret all the things she has done and all the things she's about to do. It's not like she has a choice now. She can't go home. She can't run away hoping to go home. She didn't know where the hell she was or anything!

"Bye Xavier, Bye Rammy," she whispered petting the horses as she stepped in the farthest room in the barn and laid there tears forming in her eyes. She might as well cry. This was possibly the last time she would. That would possibly the last feeling she would feel.

" I love you mommy," she whispered taking the lighter she had stolen from Jason out of her pocket flicking it on. "I love you daddy."

"Bye," she whispered the lighter inching closer and closer to the hay surrounding her.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"Do you know anywhere Jason might be keeping her in? A family house, anything secluded? Anything that might…" Victor asked Samantha as she sat there thinking trying to piece the whole thing together. She couldn't believe that this whole thing was her fault! If anything happens to Gabriella, if she's hurt in any way, she'd have lost both her children. She didn't think she could stomach that.

"There is a place," she muttered suddenly remembering wanting to take Gabby there because she loved the horses. It's in the middle of mainland New York and the nearest house was at least three miles along. Not the picture of any person who calls themselves "New Yorker" pictures New York but it was mainland.

"It's hum… written down in my date book at home."

"Good good," Victor said looking around him the exhausted ex- MPU agents there worried etched across their faces.

"I'll call Reggie and ask him to get it," Vivian volunteered taking her phone out. "Where's your hide- a key again Samantha?"

"It's underneath the third plant to the right outside Mrs. Becker's door," Martin answered.

"And the date book?"

"On the desk in the room," Samantha whispered the feeling of guilt still consuming her.

"So, as soon as we get the address we move to there. Agent Taylor and Agent Malone should stay here in case something else comes along while the rest of us go with SWAT to location."

"Agents," Jackie said coming into the room a manila folder in her hand.

"Yes?"

"We just ID-ed the passenger and the driver or the suspect of the hit and run case from a camera in the New Jersey toll."

"What did you get?" Jack asked.

"The driver was identified the driver to be Jason Wells and the passenger to by Lynn Reynolds."

This time it was Martin's turn to look ashamed. Right on time, Reggie came busting in the office holding a black date book in his hands. "I got it!"

"Well?" Victor asked looking down at Samantha who was reading at where the address would be.

"3950 Wells Street, Auburn, New York."

"Good, good. Agent Johnson, Agent Malone, I would like you two to stay here and see if there would be anything new as back up. The rest of you, let's go save a life."

Martin didn't look up until Samantha had forced him placing two fingers under his chin giving him no choice but to look up at her. "You can't do that. You can't be all sad and looking like you're giving up."

"I'm not…"

"It's okay for you to feel it, but please, don't look it. For me," Samantha pleaded looking Martin in the eye trying not to shed tears inside her office. They were so close. She could almost feel her daughter's arms around her. He couldn't give up now. He couldn't blame himself now.

"I just… I feel like I'm to blame, you know?"

"For what?"

"The… hum… mis…"

"It's my fault more than it's yours, Martin. Please don't blame yourself now that they've found the suspects. Just… Blame me."

Martin looked at her surprised as they stepped inside the elevator together his hands wrapping around hers intertwining their fingers together.

"I don't blame you, you didn't want this to happen any more than I did," he whispered in her ear. "Let's not think about him, let's think about her, we're coming to save her. We're gonna find her."

"What if…"

"No," Martin said shaking his head looking Samantha straight in the eye. "She'll be alive and well. Nothing else."

"Thanks."

"Anytime," he said taking her into an embrace pulling her close. They needed to get through this together.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Driving to Auburn, New York, Samantha clutched Martin's had in hers tight. She had a strange gut feeling but couldn't at all voice it. She just hoped that this was one of the rare times that her gut was wrong. Oh so damn wrong.

"Relax," Martin whispered in her ear.

"I'll relax when we find her."

"You're cutting the circulation off my hand."

"Sorry," Samantha said letting god of his hand and now ringing hers together. She needed to do something not just sitting there in the car waiting to arrive to one of the places she _might_ be. This location wasn't for sure, she just hoped that it was. She couldn't face anymore searching. She's worked in this unite long enough to know that every second that ticked by was an important one. That every second that ticked by was another second possibility that they're going to find their missing person dead.

"Stop thinking like that, Sam. We'll find her."

"I know we will, Martin. I'm just… What if it's too late?"

"You can't let the what if's rule your mind, Sam. Not now."

"I know, I'm sorry," she said. It was about the twentieth time she had said the word 'sorry' in the span of their short journey. It wasn't just her fault, clearly. Jason has been in contact with Lynn and with that being said, it was also partly his fault too.

"Nobody's blaming you. Stop saying sorry."

"But it's my fault Martin," Samantha said tears leaking out of her eyes. Martin shook his head wrapping his arms around her and puling her close her face resting at the crook of his neck as she sobbed.

"Shh…"

"Tell me that I'll wake up tomorrow with a happily ever after, Martin. Tell me," she rasped her face still resting at the crook of his neck. It had been her comfort spot, and it's still at the moment.

Martin looked ahead seeing numerous fire emberes floating up in the air lighting up the night.

"You'll wake up tomorrow with your happily ever after, Sam."

"Promise?"

"I promise," he said gently forcing her face into the crook of his neck as she tried to look out. He couldn't let her see the fire embers and the huge fier that was coming into sight.

"What's happening Martin?"

"Nothing, Sam. I just… I want to hold you, tight."

Danny and Elena looked back at Martin and Samantha at the back in a tight embrace as the vehicle stopped at what they expected to be a parking lot a few feet from the burning stable. Nobody said anything, nobody did anything. Processing the picture that was playing in front of them was enough.

"Should I go…"

"Wait a few seconds more Danny," Elena whispered also not wanting to break the little bubble they were in. As soon as the door would be open they would find out if Gaby was in there. The chances that she was were abundant, Elen akenw that much. She -- like Martin and Danny -- weren't ready to face the reality that was outside the car as the local police department called up the firefighters and rounded up the stable and searched up the bigger house at view.

"Now?" Danny whispered.

Elena nodded looking over at Martin who sat there frozen just rubbing circles on Samantha's back not letting her look at the sight in front of them.

"We''ll get her alive, Martin," Elena whispered.

"I hope so."

Danny and Elena got out of the car joining Victor and the rest of the squad that went in search of the little girl that held a very special place in their heart and the man that had kept her captive there.

"Where to, sir?"

"I don't think this place is salvegable," Victor motioned to the stable that was slowly falling apart into the fire.

"Do you think she's in there?" Elena whispred.

"No."

His reply was so sure as if she was asking if the sunwa s going to come out in the morning. It almost convinced Elena that everything was okay. Almost.

"Martin, what's happening?"

"Nothing, Sam. Keep your head there okay?" Martin instructed her.

"No, I want to know what's happening!"

"Trust me, you don't," Martin said forcing her face to stay at the crook of his neck not wanting to see the barn collapse in all its firey glory.

"I do."

"You don't."

"LET ME GO!" she exclaimed cranking her neck up seeing the top of the stable collapse.

"Gaby…"

"Sam," Martin breathed as Sam ran out of the car and to the stable. He of course ran out with her.

"You promised me everything was going to be okay! You promised me that I'll wake up and have my happily ever after!" she screamed hysterically at Martin as he tried to keep her from stepping closer to the fire that the fire fighter were now trying to put out.

"I'm sorry."

"She can't be gone, Martin," Samantha sobbed into him. "My baby girl can't be gone like that."

"She's not gone."

"Well she sure as hell isn't here, Martin! Gabby!"

Elena saw the interaction moving to get closer to Samantha wanting to comfort her as she broke down. Samantha was her best friend and Gaby was like her neice. To see Samantha become so out of control and to have the hope of seeing Gaby's face light up disappear every minute was something she never needed to remember.

"Give them their space," Danny said coming to hug her from behind a tear also slipping from his eye. They weren't going to stop though.

"It's gonna be impossible to find her," one of the locals said coming up to Victor who was also watching his son and Samantha on the floor crying. He knew that the chance of finding his grandaughter's body and alive were slowly decreasing.

"Until they say that her body was burned in the fire, we aren't stopping."

"But sir…"

"I said go!" he demanded walking to his son and Samantha.

"Did they say anything about the fire, Dad?" Martin asked seeing the fire investigator take some notes down. He knew that this was top priority and what would usually take a week to know would only take them a few hours tops.

"I don't know, let me go ask," Victor said walking up to the fire investigator. "So anything on what happened?"

"Well there was a body that was there."

Victor sucked in the air not wanting to hear the rest but having to. "Cucasian girl?"

"No, it was a man."

"There are no traces of my grand daughter being there?"

"Nothing remaints of her. It was said that there are at least five horses here, we only four evidence for four and there's traces of a man's watch being there and…"

"There are no traces of my grand daughter?"

"She might have ran with the missing horse," the man answered.

"Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure."

Victor looked over once again at Martin and Samantha who was slowly trying to compose themselves. At least he brought good news.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

She could see her Grandpa Victor and her Uncle Danny as she stood not so far away from the stable. She couldn't run up to them for she was ashamed more than anything that they were on high alert looking for her. But then again, coming out would cause less trouble. It would cause her mother to stop breaking down into sobs as she could see and her father to just be his old self. Btu she couldn't, not when she knew that she was the reason that someone died. No matter how evil that person is.

It wasn't her intention to kill him. He just came inside the burning stable to save his horses as she knew he would do. She didn't actually think he would though. Risk his life for the horses.

"Gabriella?" she heard someone whisper from behind her. She quickly turned around to see none other than her Uncle Danny standing there a tired look on his face. "Gabby? Is that you?"

"Who's asking?" It had always been the retort that people say in the movies. She thought she'd try it.

"We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I know."

"You want to show yourself to them now? Everyone's been so worried about you being in the fire," Danny said to her stepping closer to her and giving her a big hug. He was afraid to let go for fear that it was all just a hallucination. "You can't believe how worried we've all been."

"I'm not ready to go outside yet, Uncle Danny. Can I stay here for a few more minutes?"

"It's okay as long as you'll let me call your Grandpa Victor and the rest of the team to stop looking for you."

"It's okay. I just don't want them to come here yet. I'm not ready."

"That's fine bug; just…we can't take long okay? Don't move, I'll just call," Danny said stepping away from her pulling out the walkie-talkie since there weren't connection there for his cell phone. As spoke through to the other side telling them that it was all okay and that he found her relatively safe and fine, he kept his graze on her. She was looking over at what use to be the scene of the burning barn. Now it was just where Martin had Samantha in his arms as she sobbed uncontrollably and people in yellow coats walked around the extinguished fire that use to be the stables trying to look for whatever else it was they were looking for.

"They're giving us five minutes, then the ambulance comes and they're looking you over."

"I'm fine Uncle Danny," she shrugged looking over at her left arm that was sprained and mildly burnt as she tried to get out of the barn with Jason pulling her back in. She had to fight for her life, literally. She shivered at that thought.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"I… I just… I wanted everyone to be happy and I thought this was the way."  
"Why would you think that?"

"They weren't happy when I was here. But… But when mom was pregnant they were. They got back together and they were happy and… I'm just there."

"It's always hard to lose a baby like that, Gab. They're just coping."

"I know but… It's like… When he died, every chance that they would be together died too."

Danny sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He needed to get personal with Gabby to let her understand the situation. It wasn't her fault. She didn't bring sadness to her parents, though he knew that that was the thing she was feeling.

"You know, my mom and dad died from a car accident too. I was with them in the car."

"They did?" she asked, she had never heard this story.

"They did, and I blamed myself for so long. It was just me and your Uncle Rafi."

"But that wasn't your baby that died."

"It wasn't, but it was my mom and dad. I blamed myself for them dying; they were fighting about me, you know, when it happened."

"Everyone was mad at you and wanted you to die instead of them?"

"It felt that way, yes."

"What did you do?" she whispered asking him. She needed to get through this like her uncle had.

"I told myself that it wasn't my fault. Just like it isn't your fault that your brother died."

"But it would've been better that I died instead of him."

"No, Gabby, that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"Why don't you just tell me what you were thinking when you called Jason and asked him for help with running away? Maybe then I can help you."

"I thought, maybe if I was the one that died instead of the baby then they would still be happy," she whispered finally admitting to someone her feelings. She had never said that out loud for anyone – even herself – to hear. "That if I just died, then they would be happy."

"Well that's where you're wrong Gabby. We all love you, this whole thing with us looking for you non-s top. Doing everything in our power to get you back safe and alive was… Does it prove to you that we don't want you to die?"

Gabby shrugged not knowing what to think at the moment. "What do you think would've happened to them if I was in the stable?"

"You mean if you burned inside the stables?"

"Yeah, what do you think they would've done?"

"They would've been devastated, Gab. They already lost your brother; they don't need to lose you too."

"They love me a lot?"

"More than the world, Gabby. We thought you knew that. We all love you so much," Danny said almost tearing. He was so happy that Gabriella was there, that the finally found her. He didn't know what he nor would Samantha and Martin've done if they didn't find her – or worse, if she burnt along with Jason inside the stables. "Can I get a hug?"

"Of course, Uncle Danny. Thank you," she said as she put her arms out waiting for her bestowed uncle to give her one of those famous bear hugs that she loves.

"When you're ready to go out there, you just tell me okay?"

"I'm ready now Uncle Danny."

"Good, I know two people who'll be ecstatic to see you," Danny said putting an arm across her shoulder and leading her out of the woods and across the street to the burnt out stable where her mother, father and the rest of the team were.

"Hey Sam, guess who I found walking around in the woods?"

Samantha looked up at him her eyes red and puffy from crying. As soon as she saw Gabriella, she untangled herself from Martin's arms and ran with strength she didn't know she still had to embrace her daughter.

"Don't ever do that again!" she said as she held her daughter tight. Gabriella put her right arm around her mother as she struggled with her left one seeing her father there watching them her grandpa by his side.

It was all over.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Martin and Samantha sat patiently in the waiting room in complete silence as they waited for the doctor to be done working on their daughter. Gabriella had asked martin and Samantha not to be there with her while she was getting treated for her left arm that was sprained and mildly burnt. At least that was all that had happened to her.

"You okay?" Martin asked noticing tears still flowing out of Samantha's eyes. He hated seeing her hurt like that.

"I'm fine."

"She's okay, in a few weeks when she gets the cast off, she'll be okay."

"I know that, I just… I really thought that I was… I don't think I could handle losing her, Martin. She's all I have."

"That's not true, Sam," Martin breathed feeling bad that he abandoned her after the crash. What was he suppose to do? It wasn't like she was confiding in him – ion fact she was doing the exact opposite, pushing him away like she had done so many times before.

"It's true. I know you're gonna say I have Viv and Danny and Elena but Gabrielle's my family. She's my baby."

"You have me too."

"I've been thinking, "Sam whispered ignoring his last comment. "I want to take Gabriella on a vacation somewhere pretty and where the sun shines or it snows all the time and we could be snow bums, just somewhere. Would you let me take her?"  
"Sam I…"

"I promise to keep her from harm. Just, right now Martin, I need her."

"When?"

"I… I haven't thought that far off into it yet," Samantha admitted with a shy smile. "I didn't think you would let me after… My track record doesn't really let you even consider letting me spend time with her. She had gone missing on my watch."

"She didn't Sam, and for the record, I don't blame you for the crash. Lynn's already been charged for those crimes and they said they'll tell us when the trial is. That is if you want to be witness."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Lynn, I know you hum… loved her."

"In that case I'm sorry for Jason," Martin replied frowning as he thought about what Samantha had just said. "For the record, I wasn't in love with Lynn."

"Oh, well…"

"No it's okay; I can see how you could jump into those conclusions."

"I'm sorry that I did," Samantha agreed standing up as she saw Gabriella's doctor come out of the room. "It's the doctor."

"Mrs. Fitzgerald," Dr. Ang started. "We put on a cast on her that she'll be wearing for about two months until the damaged tissues heal along with her skin that she had burnt off. She isn't going to have any scars with that don't worry. My nurse will give you a print out of the medications she needs to take and schedule you an appointment which has to happen periodically until the cast is removed and a little after for us to check the recovery."

"She's okay, though?"

"She's alright," Dr. Ang smiled at them. "I'll take you to her."

As they walked to where Gabriella was, Samantha slipped her hand in Martin's squeezing it hoping that he would return the gesture to calm her nerves down. Their daughter was going to be okay physically but her mental state is something that they still need to worry about. What had made her do what she did worried Samantha to great measures.

"I'll leave you guys to it," the doctor said leaving them alone with the curtains close with Gabriella.

"Hey sweetie," Martin greeted seeing their daughter sitting there staring at her bandaged arm.  
"I see you went with the purple sling."

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"How you feeling?"

"I wanna go home," Gabriella whispered looking from her mother to her father knowing that she had to make a choice who she would stay with.

"It's okay if you stay with your father honey. I won't be mad."

"But are you mad at me about what I did?"

"Oh no, we're just disappointed. That's all."

"But doesn't disappointed mean that you're mad?"

Martin shook his head sitting down beside her taking one of her hands as he let go of Samantha's and looking her in her eye. "Your mother and I are just disappointed that you couldn't go to one of us to talk about it. You have to know that she and I are both sorry for making you feel like we're not here for you. We are, and you don't even have to ask. Just blurt it out or whatever."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sounding like your mother," Martin joked lightly making Gabriella's focus snap up to see Samantha who sat down on her right side opposite of her father.

"You're sorry too?"

"I am. I'm sorry that I'm not much of a mom to you ever since… ever since your brother died. I don't have an excuse for not being there with you. I guess I just felt like everything in me died along with him, I just… I didn't realize that I still had you. My hope, you know that you're my angel right?"

"That's why you named me Gabriella," she smiled proudly at her mother remembering her words. "It's an angel's name isn't it?"

"Oh it is, but you know, you don't get off the hook that easily Gabs," Martin pointed out knowing the wheels in his daughter's head had already started turning in the direction that since her parents weren't mad at her she wasn't in trouble like she had imagined she would be after they discovered she ran away.

"You aren't going to put me in jail are you Daddy?"

"Well, you are grounded."

Gabriella groaned. Samantha smiled hearing that sound. Any sound at the moment that was produced by her daughter was like music to her ears. She couldn't help it!

Martin smiled as well continuing with her punishment. "And maybe if you ask your mom, you could go over hers more and not be grounded?"

"Please mom? I miss TV."

"I... uhn… You know what? I have another idea," Samantha said smiling. "How about I you stay grounded, you me and your dad could take a vacation fly over to California and spend the summer there?"

"California? Hollywood?"

"Only if you promise me and your dad that you will NEVER pull something like that again and to see a psychologist."

"A shrink?"

"In shorter words, yes."

"I promise. I learned my lesson and won't do it again. But the shrink? I'm not crazy am I?"

"We just want you to talk about your problems to someone else too who could help you with it."

"Okay then, I promise. I love you mom, I love you dad."

"We love you too," Samantha said.

"Is it me or did it just get so sentimental here?"

"It did, I don't want to cry any more daddy."

"Speaking of crying…You know that your Grandpa Victor actually cried?"

"He did?!" Gabriella asked surprised. Her grandfather almost never cried!

"Yeah, he loves you that much. Uncle Jack flew in from Chicago to help and …"

"Is Hannah and Kate here too?"

"I'm not sure about that," Samantha answered knowing that Gabriella loved Jack's daughters. "But I just want to tell you that they all love you so much. So do we."

"I know mommy, I'm sorry for ever doubting that you did."

"You're our baby, Gabs. We'll always love you, no matter what you do."

"Even if I come home fifteen and pregnant?"

"Now that, I'm not sure about," Martin joked earning a slap from both Gabriella and Samantha. "Alright! I was just joking! But seriously Gabs, anything. But that doesn't mean that you're gonna be pregnant at fifteen right?"

"Come on dad! Let's be serious now! I don't think you'll let me get out until I'm thirty!"

"As long as you know," Martin smiled winking at Samantha.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting something?" The nurse asked smiling as she opened the curtain seeing the three joking around. She had seen the news over her lunch break earlier that day and had recognized the girl as the one in the picture.

"No, come in."

"Well, are you ready to go home? I have the discharge papers here."

"Yes please."

"Now who would like to sign it?"

"I will," Samantha said taking the papers and signing her daughters discharge forms out. "Can I also have the list of the pills she needs to take?"

"You should ask your mom to stay with us for a few weeks, you know, to help around with you," Martin whispered to Gabriella as Samantha signed the papers. "I think she'd love the offer to not be alone."

"Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you… maybe stay with me and dad for a while? Mother's touch."

"Your dad put you up to this didn't he?" Samantha asked looking out the window seeing Martin exit the pharmacy. It had Martin written all over this request.

"Uhm…"

"Hey, so where to now? Dropping you off?" Martin asked Samantha.

"I was thinking more stopping by my place to get a few clothes, if you're up for it."

"Of course we are," Martin said smiling and looking at the rear view mirror getting Gabriella's attention and winking at her.

"What are you waiting for dad? Let's go!"

With that demand, Martin started the car and drove away to Samantha's apartment. He had a really good feeling about this.


End file.
